Blackened Petal
by Luna's Child fanfic
Summary: A surprise infestation has either killed off Konoha's male population or forced them to abandon the village. Now run by females only, a certain pink-haired kunoichi discovers that her so-called perfect society has a dark secret.
1. Prologue: Infestation

**A/N: This is my new fanfiction that I have been thinking about writing for quite some time, but have been unable to until now. For those who are waiting for the next chapter to My Royal Pain, please accept my apologies. I have been incredibly busy, and quite frankly, I don't have inspiration for that. Rest assured, I will finish it someday.**

**Until then, enjoy Blackened Petal.**

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><p><strong>Prologue: Infestation<strong>

_The harsh wind spread the sickening scent of blood and fear in every direction. With it followed the torturous screams of a dying people that echoed throughout the region. _

_A squad of individuals wearing unique animal masks flew through the tall trees that made up the Forest of Death. They barely made any noise as they traveled closer to the source of chaos, yet each of their heart beats accelerated in both terror and adrenaline. _

_Several agonizing minutes went by as the silent squad continued towards their destination._

_Finally, they burst through the edge of the forest, and landed in the middle of a hellish sight. _

_Countless corpses littered the once peaceful compound. Each of them had one or more limbs missing, their red and black eyes opened wide in silent horror. Parts of their flesh seemed burnt to the bone. Strangely enough, they were only males._

_The leader of the masked squad cursed in his breath. "Damn, they got this clan too," he stated._

_His companions cautiously walked through the destroyed compound, observing their surroundings for any signs of survivors._

_The only female knelt in front of a dead child who couldn't have been more than three years old. _

_Compassion gripped her heart over the loss of innocent life. _

_Gently closing the blank eyes of the infant, the female lifted her head to glance at their leader. "Our scouting was just a decoy. Their real target was the village," she said solemnly._

_The man nodded, allowing himself to grit his teeth underneath the protection of his Lion mask. _

_"I don't see any women or girls here," another member stated._

_"Ash Squad reported that the Hyuuga and Nara clan suffered heavily losses as well, though they managed to evacuate the majority of their women and children. The men here must have held back the attackers," The leader replied evenly, though his hands subconsciously balled into fists._

_"Have you heard from Ash squad since then?" _

_"No…" The leader replied. _

_His eyes narrowed as he scanned all over for chakra signatures. His stomach plummeted with heaviness when he saw no signs of life._

_An individual with a cougar mask stepped towards him. "It doesn't seem like there are any survivors. Should we move on?" He asked._

_The leader inwardly sighed at the devastating loss of the once formidable clan. _May their cursed souls rest in peace.

_After sending his private prayer, the leader nodded. "Let's get moving. We have to find Hokage-sama and regroup."_

_As one, the squad vanished from the area, and continued towards the center of the destruction._

_They crossed the wide length of the dead clan's compound, nearly all of it covered in blood and ruined with debris. _

_From the corner of his eye, the leader glimpsed a flicker of chakra before it abruptly disappeared._

_He gracefully landed on a lamp post, and focused his keen eyes on the area. _

_The female landed on the post beside him. "What is it, captain?" _

_The leader's eyes strained as he tried to capture even a flicker of the unidentified chakra. _

_His persistence paid off as he spotted the suppressed chakra a hundred meters ahead of him._

_Wordlessly, the leader took off towards the source, his squad obediently followed behind him._

_ They soon landed in front of small buildings that were used as indoor training rooms. _

_Quickly identifying the one that held the chakra, the leader glanced back at his team. "Hamamoto and Kai, scout the entire perimeter. Kaneko and Kita, check out the other buildings. Uzuki, you're with me." _

_As his team split up into their respective areas, the leader and Uzuki cautiously stepped inside the building closest to the blood stained pond. _

_The leader stared hard at the sight of more corpses littering the ground. A good majority of them had painful holes protruding from their still chests. _

_Uzuki knelt down and studied one of the mutilated corpses. "It seems like the cause of death was trauma to the chest. I've never seen such a wound like this." _

_She carefully spread open the shredded green vest, and held her breath. "It looks like his bones were bent outward, as if something escaped from his chest cavity," she murmured. _

_The leader ignored the corpses, and stepped in the middle of the room. _

_Immediately, a whizzing sound sliced through the still air as several shuriken and kunai flew towards him. _

_With the experience of an acrobat, the leader twisted and turned as he dodged every single weapon. _

_As the last one fell to the ground, the man sharply turned his head to a small figure leaning against the wall on the far side of the room._

_Uzuki ran towards the leader. "Captain! Are you alright?" She asked worriedly._

_Ignoring her unnecessary concern, the leader walked towards the shaking figure. _

_It took out a kunai and held it in one hand, its body twisted sideways as if protecting something. "Stay back!" a high-pitched voice yelled out._

_The leader momentarily halted, caught off guard by how young the voice sounded._

_Stepping out from behind him, Uzuki crouched to try to not frighten the figure. "It's okay, we're Anbu agents," she said gently._

_The figure's grip on the kunai slightly eased, but tightened once more as a cry came out. _

_Uzuki's eyes widened as the crying continued._

_Hesitantly, the figure turned away from them, and cooed soothingly at whatever was hidden from the Anbu's view._

_Carefully, Uzuki stepped forward until she knelt behind the small figure. She glanced over the figure's small shoulders and nearly gasped at what she saw._

_A baby with thick black hair pouted as his guardian kissed his cheeks, and held him close._

_Getting over her shock, Uzuki placed a hand on the figure's shoulders. "Is he your brother?" She asked._

_The figure, who was really a child, looked back with sad eyes. "Yes," he confirmed softly._

_A small smile teased the woman's lips as the baby gurgled in delightful ignorance. "What's his name?"_

_"Sasuke," the older brother replied._

_Uzuki turned her gaze to him. "And yours?"_

_"Itachi," he said quietly._

_"Why didn't you run to one of the shelters, Itachi? It's dangerous here." She said._

_The young boy bit his lip before he glanced at his dead clansmen. "There was too much chaos for me to understand what was happening. All I saw were my clan dying; some by facing strange creatures, others by having their chests explode."_

_"Strange creatures attacked your clan?" The leader asked as he stepped forward._

_Itachi nodded. "I was too busy running to catch a good glimpse of them, only that they were as dark as the night, with great claws and no visible eyes."_

_Frowning in confusion, Uzuki looked up at her captain. "I've never heard of such a creature. Do you think they're a result of one of Root's despicable experiments?"_

_The leader shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever those creatures are, they're not here anymore."_

_He then looked back at the pile of used kunai and shuriken. "Did you prepare this trap?" He asked._

_Itachi nodded as he adjusted his hold on the baby. "Yes. It managed to hold back those creatures before everything went quiet," he replied._

_The leader nodded in approval, before he walked towards it and studied a strange burn-like marking on the cement. "Have any of the creatures been injured by your trap?"_

_"One, yes. It screeched, before it fled through the ceiling. Its blood left that mark on the cement."_

_The Anbu squad leader narrowed his eyes as he examined the mark. _Acidic blood that melts through cement? That must explain the burns on the victims. Just what kind of creature are we dealing with?

_Uzuki stood up. "We have to escort these children to safety," she said._

_The leader nodded, and then glanced at Itachi. "Are you injured?" He asked._

_The child hesitated as he shuffled Sasuke onto his shoulder. "I don't know what happened, but something that looked like a hybrid between a crab and a spider attacked me. When I woke up, I found it dead beside me."_

_The leader's eyes narrowed. "Where is this creature?"_

_The young boy gestured behind him._

_The Anbu squad leader walked towards the back, and immediately spotted it._

_Unlike Itachi's description of the creatures that killed his clansmen, this one was a yellowish color and didn't seem to be dangerous. _

_Grabbing a kunai, the leader sliced off one of the creature's long appendix-like fingers, and watched with narrowed eyes as its acidic blood corroded the ground._

_"It was trying to attack Sasuke. I got in the way," Itachi stated._

_Uzuki squeezed his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"_

_The child rubbed his throat. "Aside from having a sore throat, and feeling incredibly hungry, I am unharmed."_

_The leader stood up, and looked at Itachi. "How long ago were you attacked?"_

_"About forty minutes ago," was the reply._

_The leader grunted quietly, and then gestured to Uzuki. "Take the kid, and let's go. Finding Hokage-sama is our best course of action now."_

_Nodding in agreement, Uzuki carefully picked up Itachi after he secured his baby brother in a strong hold._

_The Anbu agents quickly ran out of the building and stopped outside where they met up with two of their squad members._

_"Kaneko, Kita, where are the other two?" The leader asked._

_"We don't know sir. We lost contact with them not too long after we finished our search of the buildings," the one known as Kaneko replied._

_The leader quietly let out a sharp breath. "I take it that you found no survivors."_

_The shaking of their heads was all the confirmation the leader needed._

_He then active his ear piece. "Hamamoto and Kai, come in," he said._

_Static was the only response he got. _

_Slightly nervous, the leader spoke once more. "Hamamoto and Kai, what is your position?"_

_Sweat dripped down his face as none of the two agents responded._

_Cursing under his breath, he turned to the two men. "What did you find?" He asked._

_"Just a lot of dead bodies and broken equipment," Kita answered._

_Itachi curled towards Uzuki's chest at the dreadful news. The woman patted his back in pity, and glanced at the leader. "Have any of the other squads reported in?"_

_The man shook his head. "No. As far as we're concerned, we're the only Anbu squad still operational."_

_Kita's brown hair flew over his Bear mask as he shook his head. "This is like a living nightmare," he commented._

_"I'm most worried about who started this and why. Are those responsible trying to start another Shinobi war?" Kaneko mused to himself._

_"For the moment, who is responsible for this mess and why they did it is not important," the leader sternly said. "We've got two survivors that we have to escort to safety. After that, we have to find Hokage-sama and wait for further orders."_

_"What about Hamamoto and Kai?" Uzuki asked._

_The leader was silent as he considered the question. "We just have to hope that they're strong enough to protect themselves," was his answer._

_Without looking back, the remains of the Anbu squad jumped to the rooftops, and continued on their way towards the village's center. _

_Uzuki took extra care to make sure that neither of the children fell from her grasp. _

_The air become incredibly difficult to breath as huge fires burned throughout the village. _

_More corpses were scattered over the streets, yet sounds of fighting overpowered the atmosphere._

_Uzuki's breath was caught in her throat. Survivors? She thought._

_Thinking the same thing, the leader led his squad towards the ruckus. _

_With one great leap, they jumped over a damaged building and landed a block away from a group of Jounin. _

_Each of them sustained heavy wounds, yet their will to protect their home forced them to go on. _

_From their position, the Anbu squad was able to see half a dozen creatures fighting against the group of Jounin._

_Two of the ninjas screamed as one of their comrades' attack caused the creatures' blood to spray on their faces._

_Uzuki covered Itach's eyes to spare him the horrendous sight. _

_As Sasuke whimpered, Itachi kissed his forehead and quietly sang a song to calm him down. _

_Uzuki was amazed by the calm collectiveness of the young child._

_Turning her attention back to the fight, Uzuki saw the remaining Jounin fall back as one of them released a great fireball._

_The creatures' inhuman screeches was ingrained in the minds of the Anbu squad. They would surely be haunted by it._

_A loud screech caused shivers to go through each of the Anbus' bodies._

_Around the corner came an imposing creature that was twice as large as the others. Its bulky body rippled with powerful muscles with each step it took. Half inch claws stained with both old and fresh blood portrayed from its feet and hands. Drool dripped from a jaw filled with impressive teeth. Its empty eye sockets seemingly stared at them as its scarred face snarled. _

_It let out a formidable roar thickened with bloodlust._

_Immediately, Sasuke started to cry and the Anbu group had no choice but to jump to the rooftops._

_The creature's displeased growl echoed, followed by the remaining Jounins heart wrenching screams as the group continued their way towards the Hokage's office._

_"Holy shit," Kita murmured._

_ "They're like demons," Kaneko added._

_"Be quiet, and let's try to get to the Hokage's office in one piece," the leader snapped._

_The squad continued on in silence, occasionally grimacing at far off screams and screeches alike._

_Sensing movement, the leader flicked a kunai to his nine-o-clock. _

_A ping noise was heard as the weapon was deflected. _

_A tired looking Chuunin caught up with them. "I'm an ally!" He exclaimed._

_"Identify yourself," the Anbu squad leader ordered._

_"My name is Sarutobi Kensuke. I was assigned to protect Shelter D when our position was overwhelmed," the younger man replied._

_"What can you tell us about these creatures?" The leader demanded._

_"They have an extremely resilient exoskeleton that protects them from physical attacks. They usually attack in hordes to overwhelm their enemies, with each horde having an alpha. Some were even capable of executing simple ninjutsu. Their only weakness thus far seems to be heat." _

_"Heat, huh?" The leader murmured as he recalled the previous Jounin's fireball killing the horde._

_He shook his head of meaningless thoughts, and looked at the Chuunin. "Where are the rest of your teammates?"_

_A sad look came across the Chuunin's face. "They're gone sir. The creatures are well coordinated with their attacks. They kill whom they deem to be dangerous opponents, yet take others alive. Also, they've left the women and children alone."_

They only attack grown men?_ The leader reflected._

_Uzuki brought herself closer to the newcomer. "Were the children just girls?" She asked._

_The Chuunin gave her a confused look. "Yeah, how did you know?" He asked._

_Uzuki shook her head. "What do they do with the boys?"_

_The Chuunin's brown eyes darkened with dread. "They usually take them back to the temporary nests they've made scattered across the village. They then force these weird hand-like creatures onto their faces."_

_The leader's eyes widened in shock. "What is done to them?" He asked sharply._

_The Chuunin winced at the harsh tone, but replied. "We didn't understand it exactly, only that the creatures seem to force something down their victim's throat."_

_It felt like someone had pierced Uzuki's guts with a cold sword of truth. She glanced down at Itachi who tensed at the Chuunin's statement._

_Running her hands through his thick locks, Uzuki quietly murmured. "What happens to those who come into contact with those creatures?" _

_The Chuunin hesitated as he glanced down at Itachi as he hold onto his baby brother._

_Sarutobi made eye contact with Uzuki through her cat mask, and shook his head._

_Her heart tightened at the terrible news. She glanced down at Itachi who appeared to be staring blankly ahead of them._

_She bit her lip in pity for the poor boy's fate. _

_Uzuki shook her head, and looked at the Chuunin. "You said that these creatures left the women and girls alone. Where are they?"_

_"We've secured them in Shelter D. They have enough supplies to last three months," he replied._

_Let's hope that by then, this nightmare will be over, Uzuki thought._

_The ninjas zeroed in on the Hokage's tower and landed on the roof. _

_They stepped inside the disarrayed room only to find it empty. _

_Confused, the leader opened the door to the Hokage's private rooms. His hope diminished when he found them empty as well._

_He quietly closed the door and looked at his fellow survivors. "What's today's date?"_

_"October 10th," Kaneko answered._

_The leader's eyes widened. "Shit," he said to himself._

_Uzuki cocked her head. "What's wrong, captain?" She asked._

_The leader stood in the middle of the group. "This was originally classified, though with the current circumstances, it doesn't matter anymore." He took a breath. "The Hokage's wife is currently in labor. Today is when they were expecting to welcome their son into the world."_

_Underneath the mask, Uzuki was flabbergasted. "They might be in danger! Where are they?"_

_The leader shook his head. "That information was classified, even for me," he stated._

_The Chuunin spoke up. "What do we do now? It's too dangerous to just walk out, plus there's the kid…." He trailed off._

_Uzuki glared at him, though he couldn't see it. _

_She focused her attention on Kaneko. "You're the only medic we have. Can you somehow remove the parasite?" She asked, not daring to be hopeful._

_The normally composed Anbu medic tensed at the request. "I… I don't know. I've never even heard of such a thing," he said._

_"At least try!" Uzuki pleaded._

_A moment passed by in silence before the medic sighed in defeat. "Alright, but first I have to evaluate him before I decide to try anything."_

_The female Anbu nodded her head, and carefully sat Itachi on the couch._

_Hesitantly, Itachi allowed Uzuki to take a hold of Sasuke as Kaneko's glowing hand pressed against his chest._

_Painful minutes went by as the medic's chakra hummed in concentration. _

_At last, the glow faded as the medic stood up. "I'm not going to lie. His prognosis is not good," he started._

_Uzuki felt like her heart was breaking at every single bad news. "What is it?" She asked, dreading the answer._

_"I could feel the creature's chakra signature matching Itachi's. It has a placenta-like sac that attached itself to nearly all of Itachi's internal organs, sucking up the nutrients. It's the perfect parasite," he commented._

_"… so what is Itachi's outcome?" Uzuki pressed on._

_Kaneko's cougar mask stared blankly at Uzuki. "If I were to try to remove the parasite, the rupture of the placenta would leak into Itachi's abdominal cavity. The sac is too intertwined with his organs that physical removal would kill him."_

_A stiff silence took a tight hold of the room with only Sasuke's gurgles interrupting it. _

_When Uzuki was able to properly use her tongue, she spoke. "You're saying that there's no way to save him?" She asked quietly._

_Kaneko sighed. "The only way that I could think of is to allow the parasite to burst from Itach's chest, while I standby and heal the damage."_

_"But?" Uzuki trailed off as she sensed a condition._

_"We don't have the proper equipment nor any blood bags to replace Itachi's eventual blood loss."_

_Uzuki forced herself to sit down beside the doomed child as her mind took in the information. It was only when Sasuke started to cry did she compute the reality. _

_Uzuki carefully placed the disturbed baby into his brother's arms and watched with a heavy heart as the older child cooed soothingly._

_As she continued to stare at the children, an idea installed itself in her mind. She couldn't help but smile as she entertained the thought. _That bastard does owe me a favor_, she assured herself._

_Abruptly, Uzuki stood up and removed her cat mask. _

_She caught a blush paint the Chuunin's face as he regarded her for the first time._

_Uzuki Yūgao was indeed an attractive woman with waist length purple hair, and a pair of eyes a shade of brown that were always warm with kindness._

_The leader's eyebrow rose underneath his lion mask. "Uzuki, what are you doing?" He inquired._

_The young woman slightly smirked. "I'm going to save this child's life," she replied as she bit her thumb, allowing a coat of blood to stain the skin._

_She pressed her hand on the ground and exclaimed, "Summoning jutsu."_

_The large room was enveloped in thick smoke as a pair of majestic wings spread from the layers._

_The Chuunin let out a noise of wonder as a beautiful horse-sized falcon became visible._

_Sasuke whined in discomfort, but quieted down as his brother rocked him gently._

_Uzuki lay a hand on the bird's feathers. "Hayato-San, I need your help."_

_The summoned bowed its crowned head. "How may I help, Yūgao-sama?" It asked with a melodic voice. _

_"I need you to take these children up north. There's an old friend who owes me a favor. Tell him that he is to see to the health and safety of these children," she said as she pointed to the dark-haired boys._

_The falcon's gold eyes examined the state of the children, clicking its beak in contemplation. "The child smells unnatural," he stated in slight disgust._

_Concerned that Hayato wouldn't accept to protect Itachi, Uzuki placed both of her hands on his beak and kissed it softly. "This is the only chance we have of saving Itachi's life. That's why I need you to get them out of here."_

_The falcon stared at Uzuki with piercing eyes before he ruffled his wings. "Very well, I shall take the children to the location," he said._

_Unable to hide her joy, Uzuki patted Hayato's head, before she walked towards Itachi and knelt down. She kissed his warm forehead and smiled gently. "My summon will take you and your brother to a secret base not too far from here. I have an old friend who can help you."_

_Itachi stared at Uzuki with a blind hope that only a child could have. "Really? He can save me?" He asked softly._

_Uzuki nodded. "Yes, but you have to leave now. It's not safe here for you and your brother."_

_Itachi glanced down at his sleeping brother, before locking his intense gaze with Uzuki. "It's not safe for you either."_

_Something close to tears twinkled in Uzuki's eyes as she lifted Itachi, and carefully placed him on Hayato's back. _

_She stared at Itachi's black eyes as they looked at her in concern. "I'll make sure that the monsters go away," she said._

_Before she could become too emotional, Uzuki opened wide the office's windows, and allowed Hayato to step outside. _

_Stretching his wide wings, Hayato took off to the air._

_With a heavy heart, Uzuki watched as Hayato climbed through the layers of dark clouds, allowing the children to escape from the hell-hole. _If anyone can save Itachi, it's him_, were Uzuki's thoughts._

_Focusing on her companions, Uzuki placed her mask over her face once more. "Have we called for support from our allies?" She asked._

_The men shrugged as they didn't know. _

_"Honestly, I'm more concerned with what do the hell do we do?" Kaneko stated._

_Their leader rubbed his head as he soothed a developing headache. "I don't know. Without knowing where the Hokage is, we're pretty much sitting ducks."_

_Uzuki turned to the Chuunin. "Sarutobi-san, is there any part of the village not affected by this infestation?" She asked._

_The young man scratched his prickled cheeks. "Not that I know of. It seems like those things are everywhere," he replied._

_Upset with the lack of an answer, Uzuki looked out towards the burning village. The screams have faded into moans of the dying._

_Remembering what Sarutobi stated, Uzuki glanced back. "You guys should stay here, and fortify the area. I'll go out and look for any survivors."_

_The leader immediately caught her arm. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" He hissed through clenched teeth. "It's too dangerous to go out there, especially alone."_

_Uzuki glared at her captain. "You heard what Sarutobi-san said: those creatures don't attack women."  
>An annoyed growl vibrated in the leader's throat. "Maybe unarmed women, but you're a capable kunoichi. What's to say that they won't kill you or use you to host their young?"<em>

_"It's a risk I have to take," Uzuki retorted._

_"And a hell of a risk it is!"_

_"What choice do we have? Stay here hoping that help will find us, or worse, that those creatures do?!" The woman yelled. _

_Another tense silence threatened to choke the room's occupants. Both captain and follower glared at each other through their masks, silently willing the other to yield._

_Realizing that the woman was too stubborn for her own good, the leader finally relented. "If you're not back within an hour, I'm coming after you," he said firmly._

_Satisfied that she won, Uzuki freed her arm from the leader's tight grip, and nodded. _

_Not wanting for the leader to change his mind, Uzuki quickly jumped through the window and hurried over the rooftops. Her destination in mind was the ninja academy. _

_She arrived within a few minutes, relieved at the fact that the place seemed more or less intact. The female Anbu went inside, and checked the classrooms. _

_She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried that they were completely devoid of life._

_She climbed onto the roof, and really took the time to glance at the changed landscape._

_Several buildings were on fire, the smoke rose high into the sky. The sickening smell of burning corpses only added to the picture of hell on Earth._

What the hell are these things, and where did they come from?_ Uzuki thought to herself._

_Lost in her musings, the female Anbu didn't notice the crouched figure stalking her from behind._

_A moment too late, Uzuki turned around, only to be pushed off of the roof._

_She grunted as her back crashed through wood and glass, several shards pierced her legs. Her mask flew off of her face as she crashed to the dirty ground._

_Uzuki barely held back a cry as silent tears dripped down her face, slightly stinging a deep cut on her right cheek._

_The woman attempted to get up, but was held down by a powerful force._

_She opened her eyes only to come face-to-face with the very personification of fear._

_A long carapace head was aimed towards her. Uzuki didn't understand how this creature could move without any visible eyes or nose. _

_Its jaws opened and revealed a toothed tongue. _

_Uzuki stared in horror as it trailed the blood on her cheeks. _

_Suddenly, a golden rope wrapped around the creature's banana head. It squealed in distress as it was yanked back. _

_The female Anbu let out a breath of relief as the added weight was removed. _

_A loud screeched caused her to look up and see the creature twitch as a long sword protruded from its chest. _

_It was then tossed aside, and crashed into a wall. _

_Uzuki spat out blood as she hazily looked up at her savior who came towards her. _

_Through the pain, recognition alerted her brain as she continued to stare. "Wha… you have returned," she managed to say._

_The figure's brilliant eyes looked down at her as she smirked. "Who else would save your sorry asses?" _


	2. Chapter 1: Reminiscence

**A/N: You'll notice that the new Konoha society is extremely similar to that of the Amazon's in the sense that it's a female-only society. I purposely made it so because I felt like the original Naruto show focused too much on the male power and not on the kunoichi capabilities. **

**I'm not a feminist or anti-male, but I feel like Kishimoto didn't really give the females of the show much credit.  
><strong>

**Enjoy chapter 1!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Reminiscence <strong>

The rise of the sun did not bring the feeling of renewal and hope to the weary village. Instead, a solemn atmosphere settled on the clear sky as the inhabitants scurried to their daily tasks.

The few shops that were available opened as their owners organized their chores mechanically.

Numerous armed individuals wore magnificent red uniforms with a white flame adorning their backs that was the emblem of their transformed home.

As they marched through the slightly crowded streets, the gathered civilians bowed in respect as they murmured "long live the Queen".

The village hidden in the leaves has significantly changed over the last two decades.

Since the devastating attack, much of the infrastructure was too damaged to be repaired and re-inhabited. The village's radius became significantly smaller as the survivors were forced to relocate to the center.

Their savior spent most of her family's fortune repairing the buildings that could be saved, and rebuilding the shattered economy into its shaky form that presently existed.

To provide more protection, a powerful jutsu was used to create a thick forest of tall, imposing trees around the village just outside the ruined outskirts. Most who dared to enter never came out. It was called the Forest of Screams.

Many survivors often explored the ruins in search of tradable goods or belongings of their long dead relatives. The younger generation did not feel much attachment to the loss like their mothers did.

The villagers were very grateful to their queen for banishing the nightmare, but without the men, their home was not the same.

A lone figure observed the village's activities from a top balcony of the newly constructed palace. A peaceful expression rested on her beautiful pale face as she scratched the ears of her pet pig.

The crown that wrapped around her forehead told of her high stature.

The woman's golden hair and equally colored robe gently flew around her as a cool breeze traveled through the village.

The scenery was far from perfect, but it was still a welcoming sight nonetheless.

A dark-haired young woman carrying several scrolls walked towards her. "Your majesty, here are the lists of the new Phoenix recruits that you've requested," she said.

The elegant woman glanced back. "Have the weapon workers made sufficient weaponry?"

Her subordinate nodded. "Two hundred swords and katanas, a hundred explosive tags, one thousand senbon, and three hundred kunai and shuriken have been added to the armory."

The queen made a noise of approval, before she turned her gaze back to the village.

Her small army of formidable kunoichi halted in the courtyard directly below her balcony.

The lieutenants organized their platoons and all stood at attention beneath the sharp gaze of their queen.

Their champion stood at the center, walking forward until she made direct eye direct with the golden woman.

The warrior took out her impressive blade, and pointed it upwards. "With her mighty will and wisdom leading us, we shall achieve eternal glory. Long live the queen!" She ended by stabbing her sword into the ground and bowing low.

The rest of the army made a "hoorah" noise and they too followed their champion's example.

A small smile tugged at the golden woman's lips, before she raised her hand.

Her loyal kunoichi stood up at attention.

"My fellow kunoichi," she started loudly, "you have filled me with great pride at your accomplishments. Once again, you have protected our home from invaders. The ignorant shinobi have underestimated our power, and they have paid the price."

One-handedly, the queen removed her necklace. It was mostly made of gold, with a few blood ruby gems that scattered across the circle. In the center was a medallion of sorts with the symbol of a bird surrounded by flames.

"We are Phoenixes! We have been burned, but we have long since risen from the ashes to start anew! Countless times over, we have proven to the shinobi world that women can defend themselves, and that we are just as formidable as any great clan."

The small army cheered and yelled in agreement.

Carefully, the queen lifted the precious necklace outwards. "Wear your emblem with pride, and never succumb to the lies of the men. They claim our village is cursed, but they are the ones who are seething in jealousy at our success."

The breeze carried thin green leaves towards the golden woman.

Carefully placing her pet pig on the ground, the queen snatched a leaf and twirled it in her slender fingers. "A new age awaits us. Those who dare to threaten our home and existence shall be crushed!" She emphasized her point by enveloping the leaf in her palm, crumpling its delicate structure.

The kunoichi yelled and clashed their weapons against each other's as they chanted.

The golden woman smiled, and once more raised her hands to quiet the excited army. "You have earned your rest."

In an organized fashion, the various platoons left the courtyard as they retired to their quarters.

The queen looked down as the pig oinked excessively for attention.

Still smiling, the golden woman picked up the restless animal, and resumed scratching its ears.

The dark-haired woman behind her coughed. "Will that be all, my Lady?" She asked.

The queen looked back. "Go rest, Shizune," she replied.

Bowing in respect, the woman known as Shizune left the grand bedroom, and quietly shut the double doors.

A minute passed by as the golden women made her way to her wooden desk. "You can come out now," she said as she placed the calmed pig on its special mat before sitting down.

An individual wearing a Phoenix mask emerged from the shadows behind the beige curtains.

Unlike the kunoichi from the queen's army, this woman was dressed completely in black. Parts of her uniform were torn as dried blood plastered to the loose pieces.

The queen frowned in concern. "What happened?" She asked.

"I ran into some unexpected trouble," the woman in black replied.

The queen gestured her to sit on one of the accompanying chairs.

Said person followed the example, and stiffly sat down. "The Land of Hot Water was attacked." She said after a moment of collecting herself.

Shock took a hold of the queen's face, but was quickly wiped away into a carefully blank look. "How many were there?"

"A dozen warriors following an alpha. I managed to kill the alpha, but not before the Akuma[1] caused irreparable damage."

Biting her lips, the queen pressed on. "Were there any survivors?"

"Just the females," was the reply. "I had Yamanaka Asami place them under a genjutsu and stand guard for their own protection."

The golden haired woman sighed loudly. "This is the second attack in two years. Could it be that the hive is growing?" She asked.

"Most likely another hive has been born, thus they took the extra territory to fulfill their needs." The masked woman replied. "What I still don't understand is why do they only spare the females?"

"They probably see the men as more of a threat." The queen replied.

"I'm not sure whether to be grateful for their selection or offended at their underestimation of us."

The golden woman shook her head. "It doesn't matter. They still present a threat that we have to prevent from spreading."

The masked woman nodded, and stayed quiet as the queen bit her lip in deep thought.

"This is not good. We've barely managed to contain the dominant hive here in Fire country. For them to be expanding past our borders only proves their cunning and will to be set free. Their discovery will only cause international panic, and could trigger another war." The queen said.

The woman in black nodded. "Yes," she started, "though I'm still amazed that all we've received was a cold shoulder from Kiri after the Land of Whirlpools was completely obliterated by a previous attack."

The queen snorted. "The water daimyō won't risk going to war with us, especially since the Land of Water still hasn't recovered from the previous Great Shinobi War." She stood up, and walked towards the large world map that adorned the wall opposite her desk.

She glanced over it with hardened eyes at the numerous X's marked upon the small countries surrounding the Land of Fire. "Why is it that they only attack small countries that have coastlines?

The masked woman was quiet as she contemplated the question. "Perhaps they are looking for ways to infest new land far beyond our influence and reach?" she suggested.

The queen hummed quietly in thought as she continued to study the map. "If they continue with their pattern, then their next target will most likely be Oto." She pointed to the village.

The queen didn't notice her subordinate stiffen at the news.

Oblivious to the reaction, the golden-haired woman's gaze pierced at the spot, before she abruptly stepped back and snorted. "He wouldn't let anything attack his village," she commented to herself.

The woman continued to murmur to herself as she paced around her lavished chamber.

She finally stopped, and glanced at the kunoichi. "Dispatch some guards to the area, and have them escort the survivors back to Konoha."

The masked woman bowed. "Yes, my Lady."

She stood up, and made her way to the double doors, before she halted and looked back. "Are you sure it was wise to keep the Akumas' existence hidden from the younger generation?" She inquired.

The queen raised a delicate eyebrow. "What good would it have done if they knew the truth? Panic would have crushed what little sanity our people had. My councilwomen have agreed to keep their existence classified."

The masked woman hesitated, before she nodded, and quietly left the room.

Alone to her thoughts, the queen let out a long breath before she walked over to her southern balcony that overlooked the training grounds.

She always enjoyed watching the kunoichi train as they sparred against each other, or practiced individual skills.

At the moment, an obnoxiously loud red-head was yelling at a cowering student for having aimed her kunai far from its intended target.

Smirking in amusement, the queen slid golden bracelets on both of her wrists, and left the grand bedroom.

She passed the large hallway, and made her way down the spacious staircase, occasionally nodding in greeting at those who bowed to her along the way.

At last, she passed through the back entrance, and stepped onto the rocky terrain of the training grounds.

All of the training kunoichi paused in their actions to bow in respect as their queen passed by.

She fixed a small smile upon each of them as she continued through.

The golden woman spotted her target, and whistled for her attention.

Upon seeing her, the red-head smiled and waved enthusiastically. "Ah, Tsunade-baa-chan! What brings you here?"

Ignoring the normally disrespectful title, the golden-haired women smirked. "I'm here to make sure you don't scare my students to death," she replied.

The younger woman rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Sorry about that, but our kunoichi have to be masters at what they do."

"I agree, however, do try to cut them some slack, Kushina. My apprentice had a rough start, but look at what she has become."

The red-head grinned. "Yeah, Sakura sure has grown," she remarked.

"Indeed she has," Tsunade added with a fond smile.

Noticing the nervous student shifting her weight between each leg, the queen nodded at her. "You may leave, young Phoenix."

"Yes, my Lady," the girl mumbled before she ran off to her peers.

Shaking her head, Kushina grumbled to herself before turning her attention to Tsunade. "So, how's your reputation holding? Still the scariest and most powerful out of the legendary Sannin?" She grinned toothily.

A chuckle escaped from the normally composed woman. "Something like that."

"Most believe that you are incapable of performing the Wood style like your grandfather. Why not prove them otherwise?"

The golden-haired woman smirked. "It would be no fun if I didn't have some secrets," she teased.

"Oh, I like your style!" Kushina exclaimed.

Chuckling once more, Tsunade cleared her throat and adopted a serious expression. "How is Mikoto?" She asked.

Immediately a sober look removed Kushina's normally contagious grin. "Eh, you know how she is. She just can't let go of the past."

The queen nodded. "Is she still there?"

"Yeah. She said it makes her feel closer to her children," the red-head said sadly.

Tsunade sighed, mentally reminding herself to visit the still mourning mother.

She glanced back at the younger woman. "How are you really holding up Kushina?"

A sad smile plastered itself on the red-head's face. "I just try to move forward, baa-chan." She closed her violet eyes, and looked down. "By Kami-sama, I miss them so much."

Tsunade fixed the younger woman with a sympathetic look as she placed a comforting hand on the slim shoulder.

Kushina wiped away rebellious tears, before she forced a big grin on her young face.

She looked up at the older woman. "We have you to thank, baa-chan. You saved us from that nightmare, and gave us a second chance."

Something tugged at Tsunade's heart as she purposely looked away. "I couldn't save everyone," she said softly.

The queen turned her focus to Kushina once more as the younger woman held her hand. "Even the greatest hero can't save everyone. It's impossible. What matters is that you came back to us in our time of need, and saved us from doom. Maybe you should cut yourself some slack, Tsunade-sama."

Surprised by Kushina's formal addressing of her, Tsunade blinked foolishly at the red-head's soft smile.

A smile teased the queen's lips, as she squeezed Kushina's hands. "Thank you," she said.

The red-head nodded, and let go of Tsunade's hands, before walking over to the training students.

Shaking her head of unwanted thoughts, Tsunade returned to her chambers, and sat on her bed. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples as she tried to ward off the spinning thoughts.

Bizarrely, she felt an impending sense of doom.

* * *

><p>[1] Formal translation for "demon." Literally means "bad (aku) devil (ma).<p>


	3. Chapter 2: Sealed Fate

**Chapter 2: Sealed Fate**

The champion of the Phoenixes couldn't help but add a delighted skip to her walk as she made her way to her private chambers.

During her platoon's daily patrol around the village's perimeter, they came across a trio of opportunist robbers slashing at the thick vines that littered the ground of the Forest of Screams.

Wanting to add some humor to her day, the champion purposely lore them to a jungle cat's nest. It truly made a humorous sight as the foolish men ran for their lives from the angry feline.

Needless to say, the robbers wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

The champion was also pleased at her queen's surprisingly good mood.

The stress of running a village as small and as vulnerable as theirs was no easy task, and often kept the queen up long into the night.

Their latest victory of preventing rogue samurai from taking over their home lifted a great weight off of her slim shoulders.

The young kunoichi sighed in contempt as she stepped inside her lavished room.

It was a quarter the size of the queen's bedroom, but as the champion of the Phoenixes, she was permitted more decoration, and even her own maid.

Said person stood at attention as her mistress tiredly stripped off her day's armor.

Letting her mighty sword crash to the carpet ground, the kunoichi gave the small girl a smile as she wrapped a fluffy towel around her beautiful curved body. "Please prepare a common robe as I bathe," she said, her sensual voice only sounding more so as exhaustion consumed her.

"Of course, mistress," was the reply.

Drifting into her subconscious, the champion turned the tub's faucet on, and hummed quietly as she waited for the water to rise.

Once it reached a satisfying level, the young kunoichi poured her favorite combination of blossom and ivy incense, and shut off the water.

She dropped her towel to the tiled floor, exposing her well-toned and slightly scarred body.

As she stepped into the deep tub, the woman let out a low breath in pleasure as the pleasant water immediately soothed her aching muscles.

She lay in there for some time, enjoying the momentary feeling of bliss as the sweet-smelling incense perfumed her fine skin's pores.

She even managed to doze off as she imagined one day taking over as queen in order to continue protecting her beloved home.

Suddenly, the pleasant thought was switched to a gloomy scenery as the village burned. Muted screams vibrated through the air, as fast changing images of black creatures flickered in her mind's eye.

The kunoichi abruptly startled awake, and looked around the elegant bathing room in suspicious.

After finding nothing out of the ordinary, she sighed and willed her excited heart to calm down.

Once it did, the kunoichi gripped onto the edge of the tub tightly. _I should probably not push myself too hard_, she thought.

Mumbling to herself, the champion reluctantly got out of the warm water, and drained the tub.

Once it was empty, she swiftly dried herself before she tied the towel comfortably around her.

Goose bumps formed on her exposed arms and legs as she stepped into the cooler air of her bedroom.

As she asked for, a simple golden robe was placed on the kunoichi's double bed.

Her armor was even moved out of the way, and set up in its special display.

Smiling at the sight, the champion allowed herself to be dressed by the fussing maid who took it upon herself to make the kunoichi as feminine as she could be.

Discreetly rolling her eyes, the older woman allowed herself to be dragged to her vanity mirror, and sat down.

The maid swiftly ran a brush through her corral hair, mumbling to herself about her mistress's "lack of feminine manners".

A slight smirk formed on the champion's face as she stared at the maid's frustrated face through the clear mirror. "Why do you persist on changing me, Ami? Not even Tsunade-sama herself could convince me to wear such scandalizing clothes that Ino adores wearing."

The maid huffed. "You may be the champion of the Phoenixes, but you are still a woman underneath all of that armor. You should consider wearing the robes that Yamanaka-san does. They would look most flattering on your beautiful figure."

The corral-haired warrior raised a thin eyebrow. "You too want me to wear revealing clothing? If I didn't know any better, I'd say both you and Tsunade-sama are trying to match me with someone."

She winced as the maid yanked through a knot. "Perhaps she should. I'm horrified at the thought that you may not feel any desire aside from that to fight."

The champion frowned at the comment. "All that my heart desires is to protect my home, and its inhabitants."

As she closed her emerald eyes, the kunoichi missed the sympathetic look her maid gazed upon on. "That is a noble cause you have, mistress. Please try, though, to spoil yourself now and again. It would do us no good to have a bitter queen leading us." She said softly.

Sensing the change in tone, the kunoichi opened her eyes, and stared intensely at her maid. "I would never lead our village to its end," she said sharply.

The maid widened her eyes. "Of course not! That's not what I meant, mistress." She paused in her brushing.

She bit her lip in slight hesitation, but spoke. "What I mean is that you shouldn't let all of the responsibility fall on your shoulders alone. If I may suggest so, you should find someone to rely on for support, so that you don't become overwhelmed."

She proceeded to finished brushing the kunoichi's thick, long hair.

The older woman quietly contemplated the maid's words. "My mind, body and soul does not need a man to surrender to," she said softly as her eyes glazed over.

Biting her tongue, the maid finished removing the last knot, before she stood back. "All done, mistress."

The kunoichi stood up, and observed her reflection with an unusually sharp eye.

Slightly shaking her head in irritation, the corral-haired woman turned to face her nervous maid.

"… Will that be all, mistress?" She asked.

Nodding in confirmation, the kunoichi pass by the maid without a single glance, and made her way out of the bedroom.

Confused as to why her maid's suggestion affected her so much, the champion decided to look for some of her friends for distraction.

As she reached the top of the stairs, the champion gracefully slid all the way down on the flat rail.

Already feeling better after the small amusement, the corral-haired woman continued towards the training grounds.

For a few minutes, she observed the young girls practice with their trainers.

A small smile crept on her face as nostalgia warmed her insides.

She was only four years old when the queen took her in and personally raised her as her own.

As such, the corral-haired woman received personal training from the great Sannin, inheriting her super human strength, and excelled at medical ninjutsu.

Senju Sakura was indeed the spitting replica of the great Tsunade.

Blinking away her mental distraction, Sakura realized that her favorite sisters were nowhere in sight.

Slightly frowning, she went back through the palace's main floor, and crossed over to the marvelous gardens.

Young girls with their mothers busied themselves by ensuring the health of the plants and flowers.

As Sakura passed by, the women lowered their heads in respect while their daughters hid behind their legs, and smiled shyly at the champion.

The young woman smiled back, and continued on her way.

She arrived at the water fountain, and allowed a grin to spread across her face. "There you are!" She exclaimed.

A gorgeous woman with luscious blonde hair and the most brilliant pair of blue eyes turned to face Sakura.

A slight smirk teased her lips. "You were only gone for a night, and already you missed me? I'm flattered."

Her friend rolled her eyes as the two women hugged each other.

"May blessings fall upon you, Ino." Sakura greeted.

"And upon you as well," the blonde woman replied.

They both stepped back a respectful distance.

"What's new, Sakura?" Ino asked curiously.

Sakura shrugged as she sat down on the marble surrounding the fountain.

The blonde woman mimicked her gesture.

"Just the usual during our patrol. There were three robbers who may have run out with an angry cat after them," the rosette teased.

Ino gasped. "You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"

Sakura winked, which caused her friend to laugh melodically.

A comfortable silence embraced them with the occasional giggle.

The area around them was filled with vibrant colored flowers of various sorts.

Ino gently removed a white alstroemeria[1] from a hedge closest to her, and twirled it in her fingers. "Something disturbs you," she said softly. "What is it?"

Sakura stared at her in surprise, but quickly looked away. "As Phoenixes, we do what we can to protect our home, but what if we need someone to protect us?" She asked hesitantly.

The champion's heart accelerated as she waited for her friend's reply.

She nearly jumped as the blonde woman placed a warm hand over hers. "Even the greatest heroine needs a shoulder to lean on." She squeezed Sakura's hand in comfort. "You may be our champion, but you have all of us to rely on. You'll never be alone."

Sakura could only stare at Ino with her mouth open as she took in her friend's words.

A large smile formed on her beautiful face as her emerald eyes twinkled with happiness. "I do," she said. "Thank you."

Grinning, Ino placed the alstroemeria behind Sakura's right ear. "And don't you forget it!"

The two women giggled like school girls, only noticing the women dressed sharply in a brown robe as she cleared her throat. "Sakura-san, the queen requests your presence in the gallery," the messenger stated.

Nodding, Sakura stood up and faced Ino. "We'll talk later," she said.

The blonde woman smiled. "I'll see you at dinner. Tenten and Hinata will love to hear your story."

Smiling in agreement, Sakura gestured the messenger to take her leave, and went back into the palace.

She passed the grand staircase, and went into the eastern part of the palace.

She stopped in front of a pair of beautiful cherry wood doors, and knocked twice.

"Come in," a muffled voice instructed immediately.

Taking a steady breath, Sakura opened the doors to reveal the rather messy room of the gallery.

Shizune was on the floor organizing papers into their respective folders, while the queen studied a scroll on her desk.

Tonton, the pet pig, was the only one who seemed relaxed as she slept on the couch.

Sakura crossed the room, and stood in front of the wooden desk. "You wanted to see me, Tsunade-sama."

The golden-haired woman placed the scroll down, and nodded. "Yes. I've recently received some startling Intel."

Sakura stared with wide eyes as she awaited the queen's words.

"In the last two years, several small countries were attacked by an unknown force. Only the women and girls were left alone. We believe that Oto may be their next target." She raised the scroll she was studying, and pointed at a mark. "You are to scout the area surrounding it for any suspicious activities. Should you come across any hostiles, eliminate them and hide the evidence. Do not get caught by the locals; they don't particularly trust our kind."

"Understood."

"Good. You'll be leaving at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Dismissed!"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," the rosette bowed low, before she left the room

A minute of silence passed as the former Sannin glanced through the scroll once again.

"Do you really think it was wise sending her blind into this mission?" Shizune at last asked.

Queen Tsunade set the scroll down, and bit her bottom lip in contemplation. "I'm not entirely sure," she replied honestly. "Whatever happens, I'm more concerned about what the shinobi will do if they manage to get their hands on Sakura."

* * *

><p>[1] Symbolizes friendship and devotion<p>


	4. Chapter 3: Dreaded Duty

**A/N: You'll noticed that I called the attack on Konoha "The Black Death". It has nothing to do with the "Black Death" from medieval times, but I was unoriginal with the name. Unless you, the readers, have some suggestions, that's what I'll stick with.**

**Enjoy Chapter 3!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Dreaded Duty<strong>

After leaving the gallery, Sakura returned to her room and began the long procedure of cleaning her armor. She began by washing her armor's inserts with cold water and a mild detergent.

Once she was satisfied that the last speck of mud had been rubbed off, Sakura carefully rinsed off the detergent and inspected with a sharp eye for any signs of wear.

Upon not finding any damage, the experienced warrior gently dried her armor with a well-used cloth. A pleased smile graced her face as one of her most prized possessions gleamed slightly in the sunlight.

She set the piece aside, and focused on her forearm protectors, one shoulder protector, her knee-length metal boots as well as her breast plate.

Using special mineral salts, Sakura sprinkled an adequate amount on each piece, and rubbed them well into the metal with another piece of cloth.

Once that was done, she proceeded to wax them, humming a random tune as she poured her love into her work.

The time passed rather quickly as the sun was already well past its midday position by the time Sakura was done with her grueling chore.

Carefully placing each piece into their proper places within the display, Sakura drew out her sword from its leather sheath.

She couldn't help but admire its long, shining form adored with tiny amethyst jewels. The precious gemstone represented power, protection and healing; the very qualities Sakura strove to achieve as the only kunoichi healer among the Phoenixes, aside from the queen herself.

The champion brought the sword to a metallic table near the balcony, and sat down on the lone chair.

Opening one of the table's drawers, Sakura took out a flat stone, and positioned her sword downwards.

She grated the piece of stone over her sword several times, scrapping off the barely developed bits of rust. She also made sure to sharpen the sword's edge.

She sliced a thin finger over the tip, and grinned as blood flowed from the cut.

She summoned her healing chakra to the area, and resumed her task.

Upon finishing her work, a low horn calling for dinner sounded.

Sakura wiped a thin film of sweat from her forehead, and walked over to the display. She placed her beloved sword back within its leather sheath, and walked over to her vanity mirror.

After twirling around to make sure she looked presentable, the rosette made her way out of the bedroom.

She nearly bumped into her maid whose vision was obscured by the pile of elegant robes she carried in her arms.

Sakura raised an eyebrow as she studied her maid. "Where are you going with those?" She asked as she looked at the clothing with disdain.

The maid huffed in effort. "They're for you, mistress. The queen strictly instructed me to bring them to your chambers." A sly grin plastered itself on her childish face. "They must be for your birthday," she teased.

Narrowing her eyes, Sakura moved past her maid and continued to the dinner hall.

The kunoichi's insides tightened uncomfortably at her maid's remark.

Her twenty-first birthday was coming up in a month: a day that would signify her initiation as a woman, and with that she would be expected to fulfill her most sacred duty to her society.

An unflattering frown glued itself to Sakura's face as her mood darkened.

She grumbled to herself unhappily, before she fixed a neutral expression as she entered the dining hall.

It was already packed with hungry women and girls alike who helped themselves to the delicious dishes that were presented.

Sakura grabbed a tray, and followed the line as the women took their food.

The champion opted for smoked salmon complimented with steamed broccolis and carrots, and a scoop of mashed potatoes. She grabbed a slice of fresh bread, and a bowl of strawberry flavored yogurt before she stepped into the crowd.

Surprisingly, it didn't take her long to find her friends who were seated at a table closest to the large windows.

Ino was the first to spot her, and waved before Sakura sat down beside her. "About time you got here, Sakura. I had to tell Tenten and Hinata about your patrol from last night."

The brunette offered Sakura a wide grin. "Did the cat rip off their pants and force them to run around in their underwear?"

Sakura discreetly snorted as she took a bite of the delicious fish. "I'm afraid not, Tenten. Though seeing them running around trying to find their way out was humorous enough."

The four women laughed at the thought.

Ino tasted her vanilla yogurt, and sighed in content. "Ahh," she started. "If only Tsunade-sama didn't work us to death." She said dramatically.

The quietest woman of the group fixed her pearl eyes on Ino. "Our training has made us strong enough to protect our home," she answered calmly.

Ino took another taste of the cold treat. "Yeah, I know that. But we're still women. We have to take care of our precious possessions." She said as she twirled a finger through her glossy hair.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "I have no idea how you managed to join the Phoenix ranks," she commented before biting into a piece of barbeque beef.

Sakura and Hinata stifled their giggles as the blonde glared at Tenten. "I'm a very talented kunoichi, thank you very much!" She yelled in indignation. "I just happen to care more for my looks than any of you."

"Looks won't save us from death," Hinata quietly said as she sipped her tea.

Ino huffed in annoyance. "You'd be surprised when your looks could seduce a man into doing what you please."

Sakura frowned at her statement. "We shouldn't have to rely on men to do what must be done."

Ino raised an eyebrow at the rosette. "There are times when both genders have to work together to accomplish something. It's how the world worked before ours was flipped upside down."

Sakura snorted dismissively before she stabbed at her meal with unusual aggressiveness.

As she devoured her meal, the champion didn't catch the shared look between her friends.

It wasn't until she started on her dessert that Sakura caught her friends staring at her intently. "What?" She asked after a few unblinking moments.

Ino was the one to answer. "What is up with you? You've been acting strange this morning. Is something the matter?"

Sakura turned to face Hinata who stared at her intensely. "It's because her birthday is coming up," the quiet woman stated.

Sakura immediately looked away as the realization fell upon the small group.

"Oh right," Tenten commented after a moment.

She then kicked Sakura's shin.

The rosette slightly glared at her.

Tenten ignored her friend's grouchiness. "It's not so bad," she offered. "The courtship is actually fun if you put effort into it."

Ino nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely!" She agreed. "Listen to Tenten, honey. As our senior by one year, she already had the pleasure of going through the initiation."

Said girl rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms. "Look Sakura," she started seriously, "I know you're dreading about your upcoming birthday, but you of all people should realize the importance of the initiation. It's what allows our society to thrive and grow. An increase in strength means an increase in forces for our protection."

Sakura grumbled to herself as she stared out the window. "I understand that," she said.

"Then what's holding you back?" Ino asked.

The champion's frown softened slightly as she looked back at her friends. "I don't want to put my heart in the hands of a vile man."

The other women's eyes widened at her statement.

Ino was the first to recover. "Eh? What's with all of the hate, sister?"

Sakura's eye twitched at the outburst. "All of you know how our society came to be." She replied defensively. "Konoha was once a peaceful village surrounded by violent nations that were always threatening to destroy it. And they did manage to bring Konoha to its knees, or have you forgotten about the Black Death?"

Immediately, a sober mood gripped the women within its tight hold at Sakura's reminder.

Hinata placed a hand over Sakura's clenched one. "You are afraid because you believe that surrendering to a man will leave you helpless and take away your individuality."

The rosette stared into Hinata's pearl eyes. "The only thing a man cares about is power." She said bitterly.

The quiet woman shook her head before she continued. "Do not let Tsunade-sama's teachings cloud your judgment. If you were to open your eyes, you'd be able to see that the world is full of good people just as it is full of evil."

Ino placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulders. "Hinata's right. Not all men are like that, Sakura. You just have to be patient and find the right one."

Sakura's posture slumped as she blankly stared at the table cloth. "How can I possibly believe that after what I was put through?" She asked monotonously.

Sakura didn't wait for an answer, for she stood up with her tray. "I'll see you all when I get back," were her last words to them before she left the table.

After placing the tray into the cleaning pit, Sakura made her way back to her room.

She sighed sadly once she entered the safety of her room.

The champion stripped off her day's clothing, and put on her nightgown.

She collapsed onto her bed, and let out a low groan.

Her friends' words continued to reply in her head, and Sakura grew annoyed at their persistent nagging.

Deciding that she couldn't ignore them, the kunoichi slid under the warm blankets, and stared at the setting sun through her balcony window. She continued to observe it until the sun had completely disappeared beyond the horizon.

Sighing once more, Sakura turned around, and closed her eyes as she willed her troubled mind to rest.

After some forceful meditation, sleep found Sakura at last, and took her to its peaceful realm.


	5. Chapter 4: Encounter

**A/N: I'm dedicating this chapter to my grandma who passed away yesterday since she appreciated my talent for writing. RIP.  
><strong>

**On a brighter note, I hope I made Sakura badass, and not weak as in the show. She deserves much more credit for her skills.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Encounter<strong>

Sakura woke up just as the first rays of sunlight began to peek from the eastern horizon.

Silently, the rosette rose from her bed, and went to her armor display.

She discarded her nightgown and quickly wrapped a leather cloth around her breasts that ended just above her toned stomach, as well as a pair of leather shorts before she attached the pieces of armor. She slid a kunai into a compartment within her metal boot, and attached a leather belt that held her trusted sword around her slender waist.

Sakura took a good look at her armored self in her vanity mirror.

She couldn't help but appreciate how sexy and formidable she looked wearing her armor. It truly gave her the appearance of a great kunoichi.

Smiling to herself, the champion took one last look of her bedroom, before she walked out.

Despite the weighted armor, Sakura walked as silent as a ghost past the hallway, and down the grand staircase.

She was surprised to see her mentor waiting for her outside the main entrance.

Sakura walked over to her, and bowed low. "Tsunade-sama, have you more information regarding my mission?" She asked.

The older woman shook her head, her honey eyes shined with something unfamiliar to Sakura.

The normally confident warrior felt a sense of uncertainty as she looked at her teacher.

The golden woman sighed. "Troubled thoughts plague my mind," she said.

Sakura cocked her head in curiosity.

Tsunade stared hard at her apprentice, as if memorizing her features.

After a moment of endless staring, the blonde woman took out her rope that hung loosely at her waist. She held it out in front of her. "You have become a fine kunoichi, Sakura. As I'm not sure how long you'll be away, I'm presenting to you the rope of strength. Consider it an early birthday present." She smiled at the end.

Sakura, for her part, was gaping stupidly at the offer in front of her. She couldn't believe that her mighty queen would offer her most prized tool on the battlefield.

Sakura has seen firsthand just how useful the rope could be; it seemed to get longer despite there being no seal to store its added length. Aside from restraining the flow of chakra, the rope was incredibly resilient, and as far as the champion was concerned, absolutely impossible to destroy.

It could be burned by a raging fire, crushed underneath a rock, drowned by typhoon, even pierced by swords and kunai, yet it still remained in one piece.

Considering Tsunade's ancestry, Sakura wouldn't be surprised if the rope was made by the great sage of six paths himself.

Still staring in shock, the queen lifted the rope right in front of Sakura's wide eyes. "Well, are you going to take it or not?" She asked, smiling in amusement.

Sakura managed to snap out of her stupor, and hesitantly took the rope from her teacher's waiting hands.

A sense of awe and pride filled the champion as she held the rope in her grip for the first time. She gently trailed a finger over the material, further fueling the fire deep within her.

Sakura bowed low once again. "I'm honored to be the owner of this rope."

Tsunade placed a hand on her student's hand. "May you be watched over by Kami-sama. The outside world if full of potential enemies; do not underestimate them."

Sakura lifted her head once Tsunade removed her hand, and nodded.

The rosette secured her newly acquired tool on her belt. "I'll try to be back for my initiation ceremony."

The queen nodded. "Be swift, and never doubt yourself."

With a final nod, Sakura concentrated chakra to her feet, and took off into the air.

A sense of exhilaration filled her as she soared over the rooftops.

Despite the manipulation of chakra being common among her people and the foreign shinobi, Sakura couldn't help but feel blessed that she had the ability to bend it to her will. It made her feel invincible.

The champion pushed off of another rooftop, and continued towards the ruins.

She stopped right in the middle of one, and immediately spotted a dark-haired figure standing at the small lake.

Curious, Sakura walked over and instantly recognized the fan symbol on the woman's shirt.

Sensing her presence, the dark-haired woman turned around to face the champion. "Greetings, Princess Sakura." She said quietly.

A sense of discomfort gripped Sakura's insides. "You do not need to call me that, Uchiha-san. I'm hardly royalty."

"Unofficially, you are the adopted daughter of Queen Tsunade; it is only befitting to address you as Princess," the woman replied as a small smile teased her pale lips. "You need not to address me as Uchiha-san. Mikoto is preferable."

Sakura nodded. "Of course, Mikoto-san. I did not mean to disturb you."

The Uchiha woman shrugged. "It is no problem. I was merely enjoying the scenery."

An awkward silence took hold of the still air as Sakura uncomfortably shifted her weight between her legs.

"You have a mission," Mikoto stated, breaking the silence.

Sakura nodded. "Yes, I should get to it."

She turned around, and was about to leave when the Uchiha woman called to her. "Beware to not let your ill opinion cloud your judgment. Ignorance is what brings a person to their knees," she said, observing the calm lake.

Sakura stared at the woman's back in confusion. She wondered if the woman was implying that she was naïve.

Shaking her head, the champion took to the air once more, and resumed her journey.

Sakura always felt uncomfortable around the former Uchiha matriarch. Her continued grievance over her lost clan somewhat irked Sakura. To the young warrior, Mikoto was merely a foolish woman for isolating herself from the rest of the village. What hope did she wish to keep by staying within the ruins?

Not wanting to continue to reflect on rather sad thoughts, Sakura willed her mind to go blank as she started the first day out of her two-day journey.

It was uneventful before the kunoichi spent the night resting on the treetops.

She resumed her traveling the next morning, although the second day presented some challenge.

Sakura arrived at a crop field that otherwise appeared normal, until a wondering wild boar exploded as it stepped on a hidden land mine.

Somewhat annoyed at the drawback, the champion focused chakra to her hand, and punched the ground.

She released such force that the surrounding earth crumpled, and overturned.

The hidden mines exploded simultaneously, making quite a spectacular show for those unfortunate enough to be close by.

Once the last explosion calmed down, Sakura ran through the decimated area.

Another forest soon appeared, and Sakura took to the trees once more.

Somehow, she managed to make up for lost time, and before she knew it, night had already fallen.

Every evening, the champion slept in the cold darkness, not daring to attract unwanted attention by building a fire.

As she looked up at the brilliant stars, Sakura couldn't help but think back about her conversation with her friends.

She immediately thought of Tenten's experience.

The day after her twenty-first birthday, the spunky brunette set off into one of the surrounding small nations. If Sakura recalled correctly, Tenten settled in the Land of Hot Water and took on a partner.

She was gone for eleven months before she came back empty-handed, and with a broken heart.

When asked what happened, Tenten merely gave a sad smile, before she switched the topic altogether.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. Tenten must have gotten her heart broken over a selfish man who disregarded her feelings.

The rosette's hands subconsciously rolled into fists as her anger rose.

Duty or not, Sakura refused to submit herself to the will of a man merely to bear an offspring.

Abruptly calming down, Sakura let out a long breath, and settled into as comfortable a position as she could.

The memory of her being chained up haunted her mind, before she succumbed to the land of dreams.

* * *

><p>By midday the next day, Sakura arrived at the Valley of the End.<p>

She allowed herself a short break to admire the grand statues of the legendary founders of Konoha.

Sakura snorted to herself as she recalled the history of her village.

Despite Senju Hashirama's wish to achieve peace, his former friend and partner, Uchiha Madara, relished in the heat of battle.

Their bloody history only added to Sakura's distrust and hostility towards men.

Sakura left behind the historic site, and arrived at the border with Sound less than an hour later.

She cautiously scouted the perimeter, taking note of her surroundings to ensure she wouldn't get lost on the way back.

Once she was comfortable enough, Sakura stepped out of the territory of the Land of Fire, and began to trek into the foreign land.

It took her another three hours before she could make out the lights of the hidden village. Sakura hid her chakra deep within her system, and maintained a safe distance from the village.

She decided to check the perimeter, and moved on westwards where the border with the Land of Hot Water lay ahead, at least a good day and a half's worth of travel.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura could vaguely make out several figures entering, and leaving the village fast. Shinobi fast.

Narrowing her eyes, Sakura increased the distance between her at Oto, and eventually arrived at a small waterfall.

After tasting it with her pinky, Sakura deemed it safe, and filled her empty canteen with the fresh water.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and Sakura instinctively took out her sword.

She circled around the small body of water, looking all around with calculating eyes.

The warrior whipped her head around the waterfall as she heard an unusually loud splash.

She narrowed her eyes as she glared holes at the film of running water.

Cautiously, the champion walked towards the waterfall, and stood on guard in front of the film.

Suddenly, something from above slammed her away a meter from the waterfall.

Sakura hissed as the water filled a deep cut on her unprotected shoulder.

The rosette summoned healing chakra to the area, and stood up.

Looking around, she frowned as her vision began to distort slightly. Her muscles also began to cramp and stiffen. _Venom_, she realized.

A low hiss brought her attention back to her current situation.

Sakura gripped her sword tighter than usual, and did a full three hundred and sixty degree turn.

She frowned when she saw nothing, yet her instincts were warning her that something was watching her.

A growl seemed to emanate from all around her.

Sakura did her best to ignore the dizzying sensation that threatened to bring her down.

She suddenly froze as she felt warm drool drip down her bare arm and breast plate.

Slowly, Sakura looked up only to come face to face with a terrifying sight.

An eyeless monster bared its sharp teeth at her, more of the drool dripped from its open jaws.

Horrifyingly, a second mouth protruded from its mouth, and gently grazed Sakura's pale forehead.

For the first time in five years, Sakura felt the suffocating grasp of fear freezing her body in place.

Her limbs violently shook as the creature lowered its toothed tongue onto her cheek.

It nibbled lightly at the flesh, as if savoring a sample taste before deciding whether or not to consume the main dish.

Rage warmed Sakura's core, and allowed her to break free from her momentary paralysis.

Letting out a battle cry, she shoved her sword deep into the creature's neck, wincing as its terrible screech hurt her ear drums.

She pulled out the sword, and rolled out of the way just as its corrosive blood began to melt the stone around it.

Sakura stared at the sight in shock; the human sized creature dropped dead into the water.

She snapped back to attention as more hisses and growls interrupted the once peaceful silence.

Not willingly to take a risk, Sakura immediately took to the trees, and went back from where she came.

It felt as if the forest itself was frightened as its inhabitants released disturbed cries, before they were interrupted by an even louder roar.

Heart racing, Sakura zoomed towards the hidden village despite Tsunade's warning of not interacting with the locals.

The champion figured that she had a better chance of fighting the creatures with backup rather than alone.

Sakura was suddenly smashed against a tree in midflight.

She grunted as her back collided painfully against the bark, though she immediately held her sword outwards.

Her instinct proved to be useful as another eyeless creature was impaled by it while it tried to jump her.

Sakura gritted her teeth as the monster screeched, and whipped its barbed tail around her, barely missing her head.

With much effort, Sakura swung the sword around, and the dead creature was flung to the forest ground.

The champion noticed that more of the creatures crawled on the trees, while others stayed on the ground directly below her, seemingly watching her with missing eye sockets.

Seeing this as her opportunity to strike with one blow, Sakura concentrated chakra to her fist, and jumped down. "Shannaro!" She yelled as she destroyed the ground below her.

The creatures screeched as they were torn apart by Sakura's brute force, while others were flung aside carelessly like rag dolls.

Sakura fell to her knees and panted as the venom continued to spread.

Sweat dripped her face as she observed the surviving creatures with narrowed eyes.

They hissed at her in caution, before they abruptly raised their heads.

An exchanged seemed to happen between them, before they abruptly left.

Sakura wasn't sure whether to be relieved that the monsters were gone, or suspicious of a possible ambush.

As it turned out, a lone creature jumped onto a tree branch, and observed her. "Eeeekkh," it screeched.

Sakura frowned at its behavior. What the hell was it doing?

Unlike the others of its kind, this one stood upright like a human, and was gesturing to her.

Sakura cocked her head in confusion.

Suddenly, the harsh sound of a kunai slicing through air reached her ears as Sakura barely managed to fling herself out of the way.

Not taking any changes, Sakura charged at the tree the creature was standing on, and snapped it.

Without its supportive structure, the tree fell over.

The creature jumped into the air, and screeched angrily at her.

Remembering her new tool, Sakura took out her rope, and hurled it towards the falling creature.

The rope latched onto the surprised creature, and Sakura pulled back with all of her might.

As the creature came flying towards her, Sakura used the last of her energy to summon chakra to her fist once more.

She delivered a deadly blow to the creature's abdomen, satisfied as it let out a scream before it crashed into several trees, knocking them down in the process.

The sharp pain from her wound caused Sakura to grit her teeth and place a hand over it.

A weak green glow came from her hand, before it vanished shortly afterwards.

Sakura's heart raced as her senses were overwhelmed.

She could hear the angry cries of the creatures as they screamed for blood shed.

She flinched as a group of five monsters jumped down, and began to circle her.

Despite being incredibly weakened, Sakura stood up and held her sword outward with one hand, while stretching her robe with the other. She sneered at their ugly faces. "Well, what are you waiting for? Fight me!"

The alpha bared its teeth, before it charged at her.

Sakura rolled out of the way, and threw her rope over its thick neck.

She yanked back, and broke the creature's neck.

As its lifeless body fell to the ground, its companions each struck at Sakura.

Despite her lessening control over her limps, the rosette managed to evade their attacks, and struck out at them with her blade.

She panicked when one's blood splattered her cheek.

After witnessing what was done to the stone from the water, she hastily wiped it off with her armored gloves, only to be confused when she didn't smell the stench of burning.

She didn't have time to continue her train of thought as the last creature tried to make a blow on her.

She ducked, and threw the creature over her with her long legs.

It screeched in surprise as it crashed onto a tree.

Sakura collapsed as her legs felt like jelly.

Her sword fell from her loosened grip, and her blood-stained rope lay around her.

She stiffened as the creature she threw recovered from its daze, and stalked towards her.

Fearing that she would be killed, the rosette suddenly let out an agonized scream as an electric current coursed through her body, overwhelming her nervous system.

She fell into a fetal position, and breathed rapidly.

While staring at the creature, Sakura's eyes slightly widened as the image of the terrifying creature steadily changed to that of a frowning man before her vision went black.


	6. Chapter 5: Painful Separation

**A/N: I've received some feedback about the details of my story. They were upset with the absence of Naruto. I'm just going to say that if it bothers you, the readers, that much, then go read another fanfic. Rest assured, though, that he will make an appearance later on.  
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**As for the weapons, I haven't made much mention about the actual shinobi weapons, so I'll be sure to do so in later chapters.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Painful Separation <strong>

_Uzuki stayed still as her savior healed all of her wounds, feeling comforted by the soothing chakra that entered her system. She stared at the healer's face that seemed unearth-like as it reflected from the green glow, as if still questioning whether her presence was real or not._

_The only female member of the legendary sannin was the most mysterious out of all of them. After spending fifteen years wondering across the shinobi world, it was rather a miracle that she showed up to protect her home during its most violent attack._

_As if hearing her thoughts, a sober look plastered itself on the older woman's face. "Despite my grievance, I still am a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf. I'll protect it with my life if it comes to that."_

_Uzuki nodded tiredly, and allowed the sannin to pull her up. _

_She bowed low. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."_

_The blonde woman raised one hand. "No need to be so formal with me. What's your name?"_

_"Uzuki Yūgao," the Anbu member replied._

_"It's a pleasure to meet you, Yūgao-san, though I wish it were under better circumstances." _

_The sannin looked around the disaster with a frown. "What can you tell me about the attack?" She asked._

_The younger woman's posture deflated as she stared at the dirty ground. "I don't know exactly what happened," she started. "My squad and I were called to scout the borders of the Forest of Death. Intel we received stated that an unidentified group of shinobi were camped in the area. After a good hour of scouting, we found absolutely no trace of trespassers." Yūgao crossed her arms, and subconsciously pinched them. "That's when the attack started. Ash squad contacted us, saying that a strange force was attacking the village, specifically the great clans. My squad and I arrived at the Uchiha compound, only to find a bloody battlefield." She shook her head._

_Tsunade's frown tightened. "Were there any survivors?"_

_"Just the two heirs of the clan head," the Anbu member answered. "Though according to Ash squad's report, the women and girls were left alone. Any male they deemed too weak to defend themselves were taken back to their nests, and forced to incubate their young." She barely suppressed a shiver._

_The blonde woman raised a delicate eyebrow in question. "These creatures spared the females? It's rather hard to believe considering their bloodlust." She commented._

_Yūgao nodded in agreement. "Their selective mannerism is rather puzzling, perhaps more so than their physiology."_

_Tsunade looked at her blood-coated sword. "Their blood is unlike anything I've ever seen."_

_"I'd advise you to be cautious, Tsunade-sama. Their blood is highly acidic, and can burn through even the thickest of stone." _

_Warily, the sannin rubbed the blood off on the brown grass. She looked at the purple-haired woman. "Anything else I should know?"_

_"They have an extremely resilient exoskeleton that protects them from some degree of taijutsu and thrown weapons, although it seems your sword is capable of inflicting damage on them. They attack in hordes that are led by nasty alphas, completely overwhelming their enemies. According to a Chuunin we met along the way, some can even perform certain ninjutsu."_

_The sannin's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is that possible?" _

_ Yūgao caught Tsunade's eye. "I have a possible explanation," she said. "One of the heirs we rescued was incubating the creatures' offspring. My squad's medic reported that the parasite seemed to match to the child's chakra signature. Perhaps due to that intimate matching, in a sense it become an offspring of the child, inheriting his genetic code." The ANBU member sighed. "It sucked up his nutrients, and its birth would have been a rather nasty one had I not sent him and his brother off."_

_Tsunade gave her a questioning look. "Where did you send them?" _

_Yūgao looked away from the older woman's gaze. "I sent them to Oto," she confessed after a moment._

_ Tsunade's face flushed red in rage. "You sent them there?!" she yelled in disbelief. "Are you insane? You know who resides there."_

_The ANBU member glared indignantly. "I was well aware of the risks, but Kabuto is the only one who can save the child. Had you arrived sooner, I wouldn't have been forced to resort to such drastic measures."_

_Tsunade growled, and rubbed her temples. "You just practically offered Orochimaru possession of the Sharingan on a silver platter."_

_"Quite frankly, I fear these creatures more than I do that snake," Yūgao replied venomously. _

_The female sannin let out a sharp breath, and bit her lip. "Once this is all over, we'll have to keep an extra eye on Oto."_

_Yūgao nodded. "I'll gladly serve as your eyes and ears in scouting Sound."_

_Tsunade glanced at the younger woman's determined expression, and grudgingly calmed down. "Very well," she said. _

_The sannin's eyes roamed around the destruction. "Where is the rest of your squad?" She asked._

_"In Hokage-sama's office. We have no idea where he is, though his wife is in labor."_

_Tsunade's honey eyes widened as she whipped her head towards the Hokage Mountain. Worry gripped her heart as she stared at the four faces. _Kushina, hang in there_, she thought. _

_Glancing back at the Anbu agent, Tsunade holstered her sword. "I have a good idea of where they are."_

_Yūgao stared at the older woman in confusion. "What about my team?" She asked._

_Turning her gaze back to the mountain, the sannin answered. "They should be safe in the Hokage's office. They should be skilled enough to defend themselves if their location is compromised."_

_Without waiting for a response, Tsunade took to the air._

_Immediately, the purple-haired woman followed beside her, quietly sending a prayer for her team's protection._

_Despite coming across various survivor groups struggling with the creatures, the two women passed by them, the younger looking back in regret._

_"The Hokage's family's safety is more important than our lives," Tsunade stated. "We knew this the moment we decided to become shinobi."_

_Yūgao nodded, though that didn't remove her guilt of leaving her Leaf comrades to fend for themselves._

_The rest of their relatively short trip went uneventful. Yūgao was sure what she preferred: to pass by a ghost town, or to hear some evidence of life, regardless if the noises were screams._

_Deciding upon the first option, the Anbu followed Tsunade's lead as she led up to the patch of earth directly underneath the Hokage faces. _

_The older woman focused chakra to her fingers, and inserted them into the stone wall, turning them clockwise. _

_Yūgao watched in amazement as the wall slid inwards, revealing a dark path. _

_Confidently, Tsunade ran inside, and Yūgao took that as her cue to follow. A sense of dread filled her as the stone wall closed behind her._

_The purple-haired woman had to focus chakra to her eyes in order to improve her vision. The darkness was incredibly thick, and Yūgao felt as if she was willingly entering an infinite abyss._

_The Anbu agent nearly jumped in surprise as a blood-curling scream echoed from ahead of them._

_The two women quickened their pace, and soon what started as a dim light strengthen into torches that illuminated a wide space._

_Another scream emanated from the sweating woman who squirmed restlessly in her bed. _

_There were two midwives who attended to her, while the laboring woman's husband focused chakra onto the seal on her swollen belly._

_His head turned as the sannin and her companion entered the area. The man's blue eyes widened in shock. "Ts-Tsunade-sama!" He exclaimed. _

_"Save the reunion speech for later, Minato. Now step aside, and let me deliver the baby." She addressed to the frantic midwives._

_As Tsunade helped in the delivery, Yūgao paced around the wide room, moving her sharp eyes all around._

_She wasn't sure how much time passed until the Hokage's wife let out her loudest scream which calmed down as crying overpowered it._

_Curious, Yūgao turned her attention to the scene. _

_Tsunade held a wet crying baby who thrashed about. His mother's hands flew to her face as tears of joy ran from her eyes. Her husband appeared dumbfounded as he stared openly at his son._

_After extracting leftover amniotic fluid from his lungs, the medic-nin wrapped the baby in a cloth given to her by one of the midwives. Tsunade held him out to his mother. "Congratulations," she said warmly._

_Gently, the red-haired woman took her baby from Tsunade's arms, and pressed him against her chest._

_The baby's crying calmed down as instinctively, he gaped against his mother's skin. _

_Smiling softly, the red-haired woman slid her shirt sideways to reveal a swollen breast filled with milk._

_Her son immediately latched on, and began suckling._

_The Hokage let out a strangled breath, as he hesitantly placed one hand on the baby's head._

_Tsunade scanned the seal on the mother's belly. "Have you stabilized it?" She asked._

_The man turned his attention to her, and nodded. "Yes, the kyuubi has entered a dormant state," he answered in relief._

_The sannin offered him a small smile, before it was quickly washed away. "I assume you're aware of what's going on outside?"_

_Minato's eyes darkened with fear. "Yes," he confirmed. "What's the status of my forces?"_

_"As far as we could tell, most Leaf shinobi are either K.I.A. or have escaped," Tsunade replied._

_"The village is in ruins," Yūgao added. "Whatever those creatures are, the only way to stop them is with fire style ninjutsu."_

_Pain flashed in the Hokage's eyes before it hardened with determination. "I won't allow those things to destroy my home." He snapped his head towards the midwives. "You two, stay with Kushina, and keep an eye on her and my son. I'll be going with Tsunade-sama and her companion to secure the village."_

_Yūgao stepped forward. "Hokage-sama, as well fortified as this mountain is, your son is dead the moment he's exposed outside."_

_Minato stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

_"The creatures only attack males," Tsunade clarified. _

_The man's eyes widened at the information, before he stared at his family. _

_His wife caressed her son, though she regarded the trio in concern and fear. _

_Swallowing thickly, Minato faced the two women again. "What do you suggest we do?"_

_Tsunade and Yūgao glanced at each other in uncertainty. _

_Tsunade broke the eye contact. "The only way to ensure your son's safety, and every other male for that matter, is to leave the village."_

_Minato's eyes widened comically. "What?!" He exclaimed._

_His outburst startled the baby, who began to cry._

_Kushina cooed softly as she hugged him tightly. _

_Wincing in regret, Minato stared at his family with longing. He desperately wanted them to be together, but from what the two women said, Minato would only be putting his son's life in danger by staying in Konoha._

_Kushina met his gaze, her violet eyes shined with forming tears. Despite her pain, Minato could read her acceptance of Tsunade's suggestion._

_Minato sighed in defeat, and looked at the sannin. "Where should we go?" He asked._

_"Leave the boy with Jiraiya. As your former mentor, he'll teach your son the same techniques you learned." Tsunade fixed her honey eyes on the new mother. "Kushina has to remain in Konoha. As the jinchuriki of the kyuubi, her life will always be in danger. She'll be safe here, once I bring back order to this place." _

_The fourth Hokage stared at her with uncertainty. _

_He looked back at his small family, his heart breaking at the thought of them having to separate so soon, and who knew for how long._

_Tsunade placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know this is an impossible task to ask of you, but this is for your son's interest." _

_The only sound that came from any of the occupants were the quiet gurgles the newborn made._

_At last making up his mind, Minato grabbed his long cloak from the floor, and stiffly put it on. He walked over to his wife's side, and knelt down. _

_With a tender look, he carefully placed his cheek on the baby's back. He closed his eyes as he listened to his son's fast heartbeat. _

_"May Kami-sama watch over us all," one of the mid-wives murmured to herself._

_Minato opened his brilliant eyes, and kissed his son's back, before he lifted his head to look at Kushina. _

_The couple shared one last desperate kiss, wrapping their arms around each other like an anchor._

_Minato pulled back, and rested his forehead on his wife's. "I love you," he said softly._

_The red-haired woman let out a small sob. "I love you too."_

_With a heavy heart, Kushina allowed her husband to take their only child. She stared at her son, memorizing his features and imprinting them within her mind. "Goodbye, Naruto. Be strong." She kissed his small forehead, and allowed the tears to flow as she watched the trio leave. _

_As they hurried away, Yūgao couldn't help but wince as a heart-broken sob emanated from behind. _

_Minato let out a sharp breath as a lone tear slid down his tanned cheek. _

_Baby Naruto whimpered quietly, before his father patted his back gently. _

_"It's for the best," Tsunade tried to comfort._

_Even Yūgao was not convinced with the meaningless words. Rage took hold of her as her hands curled into fists. Damn those creatures for attacking their home, taking lives, and tearing families apart._

_Shortly afterwards, the trio arrived back outside._

_The Hokage's breath halted as he stared at the devastation for the first time. _

_His beloved home was on fire, and he could hear the numerous struggles as the villagers fought to stay alive._

_His dropped to his knees in shock, not registering the two women trying to get his attention._

_"Minato!" Tsunade yelled, finally getting the man to look at her._

_Her normally hard heart quenched as she stared into the hopelessness in the man's usually bright eyes._

_She sighed heavily, and pulled him up. "There's nothing you can do here. Take your son to Jiraiya."_

_Minato lowered his head, and glanced down at his son._

_Losing her patience over his slowness, the sannin turned the man around to face her. "Get out of here, and don't come back!" She yelled. "Find the surviving Leaf shinobi, and lead them to safety. I need your forces to aid me should Oto decide to strike."_

_Tsunade managed to ignore the guilt within her as her outburst caused Naruto to cry once more. She focused her hard gaze on the Hokage who seemed to have broken free from his self-pitying. _

_Shaking his head, Minato stood up, and secured his grip on Naruto. "I'm counting on you to clean up this mess."_

_Tsunade nodded, while Yūgao bowed. "Take care, Hokage-sama." She said._

_Minato nodded at both women, and performed some hand-signs. _

_He glanced at them with hard eyes. "Farewell," he said, before finalizing the jutsu. _

_Father and son disappeared in a yellow blur._

_Tsunade smirked slightly. _The Yellow Flash never ceases to amaze me_._

_She was drawn back to reality as her companion coughed. "What do we do now?" Yūgao asked._

_Tsunade stared at the devastation that could be seen clearly from their position. _

_She felt sick as she thought about the lost lives, and nightmare that would surely plague the survivors._

_Turning her gaze away from the horror, the sannin placed a secure hold on her sheathed sword. "We take down these bastards once and for all," she answered strongly. _


	7. Chapter 6: Captured

**A/N: If you get queasy about reading an implied rape scene, skip to the time-cut. It's not that detailed, though I'll be switching the rating to M.  
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**Enjoy the chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Captured<strong>

_Fear gripped the prisoner in its suffocating embrace, her lack of vision only strengthening it. _

_Try as she might, not even her mighty strength inherited from her famous mentor was able to free her from the restricting chains. Each struggle only weakened her as the chains sucked up her chakra._

_The teenage girl's heart pounded in terror as sweat drenched her exposed skin. Her numerous struggles created painful welts on her skin where the chains were attached. _

_She felt exhausted, and completely terrified about not knowing what was to come._

_She tensed as her finely-tuned ears picked up barely audible footsteps coming towards her. They stopped, though the chained girl could feel her capture's imposing aura watching her._

_"You'll do nicely," the deep voice said after a moment of tense silence._

_Confused, the prisoner didn't have time to dwell on the thought as she heard a wet flapping sound as if something was being freed._

_She let out a low hiss as her kidnapper swiftly sliced her shirt open, only to do the same to her chest bindings. _

_She squirmed when she felt cold, rough hands smother her bare breasts. She cried out as something collided with her cheek, the blow forced her head to turn to absorb the force._

_"You will comply," her capturer stated coldly._

_The girl let out a half-sob as her capturer continued to roughly handle her bosoms. _

_The blood in her veins froze as something hard bumped against her lower region. _

_She screamed, and fought more violently to set herself free even as the hard member came off her. _

_She was cut off as something long and wet was shoved into her mouth. She instinctively started to gag as she felt something hit the back of her throat._

_Tears poured down her cheeks like miniature waterfalls as her kidnapper's cruel laugh echoed loudly in the cramped room. "You should be honored that you have been chosen," he said._

_The object in her mouth continued to press hard on her throat, restricting the air flow into her lungs. _

_A sudden prickling sensation struck at the back of her neck. _

_Her entire body froze, before she moaned lowly in distress as she felt something wrap itself tightly around her throat. _

_Her last thought was that she was going to be violated and killed before she succumbed to unconsciousness. _

* * *

><p>Sakura opened her eyes slowly as she came to.<p>

The first thing she noticed was that she was tied up on the cold floor. Her entire body felt like it had been trampled on by a herd of elephants.

As Sakura attempted to heal her wounds, she realized that her chakra flow was restricted.

Snapping to attention, the young woman took a better look at what tied her down. Black chains were strapped tightly on her armor less body, sucking up her chakra.

Sakura let out an agitated breath. "Damn it," she cursed as she started to shake.

She couldn't believe what situation she got herself into.

The last thing she remembered was the excruciating pain as she was electrocuted, as well as the nightmarish creatures morphing into humans.

Sakura frowned as she pondered upon the thought. Were they mutated people? Or was she caught in an elaborate genjutsu that she failed to detect?

Her overthinking mind came to a halt as she heard footsteps.

Sakura's first instinct was to shuffle as far from the door as she could, though her movements were restricted due to the chains being nailed to the ground.

The rosette bared her teeth in annoyance, and struggled to get her hands to reach her tangled hair.

As the footsteps halted some distance away from her cell, Sakura worked with her breath held while attempting to eavesdrop on the whispered conversation.

After losing her grip several times, Sakura managed to pick out the thin senbon that was hidden strategically within her pink locks.

With much effort, Sakura raced to hide the delicate weapon within her leather cloth that covered her full breasts.

She winced as it poked her skin, though she paid it no mind as the footsteps resumed, and stopped in front of her door.

The warrior lay still, and covered her face with her hair as the intruder stepped inside the cell.

She subconsciously held her breath as the unidentified person knelt in front of her. She could feel eyes staring at her nearly exposed form.

Sakura clenched her teeth in anger mixed with slight shame at being observed like a lab rat with no discretion for her privacy.

Whoever it was snorted quietly. "You can stop pretending to be asleep. I've got important tasks to accomplish, and I rather not waste all of my time on playing your false games."

Sakura's heart accelerated at her cover being blown.

Shyly, she lifted her head just enough that her hair uncovered her left eye.

She saw her half-covered face reflected on the man's glasses. His lips were set in a thin line as his black eyes stared at her blankly. "I apologize for tying you up, Sakura-san. You wouldn't have been compliant otherwise."

Sakura's eye widened in surprise, causing the man's blank face to wrinkle into an ugly smirk.

She didn't like the man one bit.

Gathering her people's renowned courage, Sakura spoke. "Who are you?"

A fake smile replaced the unpleasant smirk, though Sakura was more disturbed by it.

"It doesn't matter who I am, Sakura-san. Our great lord, however, is very eager to meet you."

The warrior frowned. "How do you know who I am?"

The man chuckled. "I'll allow my Lord to answer your questions. We should get going."

He stood up, and called for someone.

A muscled man stepped into the room, and waited like a mindless drone waiting for orders from the monarchy.

The man with glasses gestured to Sakura. "Bring her to the meditation room."

Without a word, the muscled man unlocked the chains, only to tie up her hands behind her back.

Sakura tensed as the man ran a hand over her toned arm.

"That's enough, Dai!"

The muscled man removed his hand, and took a hold of the chains.

Grumbling quietly to herself, Sakura grudgingly allowed herself to be "escorted" to the meditation room, busying herself with observing her surroundings.

The man with glasses noticed her looking around, and chuckled to himself. "Escape is nearly impossible," he said. "For your own well-being, I'd suggest you to not try it, unless you wish to die."

Sakura didn't allow his warning to deter her from her goal. She had absolutely no intention of staying.

The Phoenix stared defiantly at the man, willing him to back off.

Undeterred from the fire in her emerald eyes, the man chuckled in amusement, and returned his gaze to the front.

Annoyed by his lack of reaction, Sakura glared daggers at his back, unreasonably wishing for it to melt into a pitiful puddle of liquefied human.

Sakura quickly lost track of where they were as they navigated through identical looking hallways. _It'll take me days to try to find a way out_, she unwillingly acknowledged.

After what appeared to be an eternity, the small party stepped out into a large hall.

Sakura grunted as the muscled man pushed her forward.

She barely paid attention to the man with glasses who berated her "escort's" rude treatment towards her.

The rosette roamed her sharp eyes around the huge space, silently admiring the purposeful wreckage that suggested great power.

Her glance landed on a dark figure in the middle.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she tried to focus her vision.

Whoever it was didn't appear to have noticed their arrival. They sat completely still on top of a giant snake statue.

If Sakura's sixth sense wasn't so honed, she would have assumed that the figure was sleeping.

"Ahh, Sasuke-san. How was your training?" The man with glasses asked pleasantly.

At last, the figure's eyes opened to reveal a hypnotic gaze.

Upon recognizing the red eyes, Sakura discreetly lowered her gaze to the side.

Her "escort" was not so smart; his body began to visibly shake from whatever illusion he was unfortunate enough to fall into.

"What are you doing here, Kabuto?" Sasuke asked, completely ignoring the older man's question.

Sakura looked at the man with glasses. _So that's his name_, she mentally noted.

The rosette nearly missed the slight tightening of Kabuto's jaw, before he forced it to relax. "We're heading to the meditation room. We have a guest Orochimaru-sama would like to meet."

Sakura barely repressed the urge to retort to the statement.

As she switched her attention to her "escort", Sakura snorted at the cowed man's behavior. "You're not supposed to stare directly into the Sharingan, idiot," she muttered, before she kicked the man's shin.

He yelped in pain, and glared at the rosette while massaging the bruise.

The purpose was served: he was released from the genjutsu.

Unbeknownst to Sakura, the young Uchiha heard her comment, and openly stared at her in slight curiosity after her display.

He raised a delicate eyebrow at her state of undress, his exotic eyes roamed over every inch of her exposed skin.

Sensing eyes upon her, Sakura turned to face the Uchiha.

She quickly looked down, causing Sasuke's eyes to narrow slightly. "This isn't your first encounter with the Sharingan, is it?" He asked.

"I'd have to have lived under a rock to not have heard about it," the rosette replied, still not looking at him.

Sasuke remained quiet as he studied the prisoner, trying to uncover whatever secrets she may have held.

"Enough with the questions, Sasuke-san. She's here for Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto commented.

Sasuke switched his gaze to the man with glasses. "I'll ask her whatever I want," the Uchiha replied arrogantly.

Kabuto glared openly at him, his right hand curled into a fist. "Just because you're Orochimaru-sama's apprentice doesn't mean…"

"Relax, Kabuto, Sasuke-kun. That's no way of acting in front of a guest, especially a woman." came a chilling voice.

Footsteps echoed loudly in the large room.

From behind the snake statue, a half man/half snake being stepped into the open. An unnatural smile crept on his pale face. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess."

Sakura tensed at his usage of the title.

The young Uchiha raised an eyebrow at the prisoner's title, and glanced at the snake man. "Why have you kidnaped a princess?"

The smile was wiped away as Orochimaru regarded Sakura. "This wasn't an intended kidnapping. This woman killed my men, and wreaked havoc upon the sacred grounds."

Remembering about the attack, Sakura glanced at her shoulder only to find it bare of any wound. Confusion filled her. _Was the attack just an illusion?_

The female warrior looked at the snake man. "On the contrary, your men attacked me." Sakura corrected.

Orochimaru sneered. "Such a natural course of action for them to take when a foreign kunoichi steps into forbidden territory, and starts wreaking havoc. Your destruction could have been heard from the Mountains' Graveyard." He crossed his arms casually, though it contrasted with his facial expression. "Your people are probably responsible for the recent attack on the Land of Hot Water."

Losing her nerve, Sakura snapped. "My people are honorable kunoichi, not murderers. We've kept to ourselves to avoid unnecessary conflict." She glared at Orochimaru. "Don't act like you're the hero. I've heard enough stories about your reputation. You're a former member of the legendary Sannin; once a protector of Konoha, but later on you betrayed it for your own reasons."

Silence wrapped the large space in its suffocating grip as Orochimaru and Sakura had a glare off.

Kabuto and the muscled man stared uneasily between the two people, while the young Uchiha continued to stare at Sakura as his interest in her grew.

Finally, Orochimaru backed off, and chuckled darkly. "You're just like Tsunade," he remarked. "Too stubborn for your own good."

Sakura chose to stay quiet as her glare cooled down slightly.

Orochimaru uncrossed his arms. "Enlighten me. If it wasn't your people who attacked, then who did?"

The young kunoichi's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the question. What should she answer? Would the snake man believe her if she spoke of her encounter with the creatures? She wasn't even sure if it was real.

Deciding upon an answer that seemed logical to her, Sakura spoke. "Someone who could perform a powerful genjutsu."

The rosette forced her back to straighten as Orochimaru stared intensely at her.

He let out a dismissive noise. "If that is what you believe," he stated as he turned his back. "Lock her up in her cell. I'll resume my questioning later."

Sakura clenched her teeth in frustration. "You do realize that by holding me captive, you're openly declaring war with my people."

The snake man chuckled as he glanced back. "I know Tsunade more than you do. She won't dare to take a drastic course of action before knowing every detail." He looked at the young Uchiha. "Come, Sasuke-kun," he said, before walking away.

Said person narrowed his eyes at being called upon like a dog, but stood up nonetheless.

Before Sakura could get a close look at the Uchiha, Kabuto gestured the muscled man to lead her back.

The rosette winced as her "escort" tugged at the chains, most likely still upset about being kicked by her.

Discreetly rolling her eyes, Sakura glanced back, and noticed that Orochimaru's apprentice continued to stare at her with those unbearable eyes of his.

She allowed herself to stare into those hauntingly beautiful eyes, nearly losing herself within their depths.

Sakura forcefully turned her head away, and silently pleaded that they return to her cell quickly, before the Uchiha's stare lit her on fire.


	8. Chapter 7: Cold Exchanges

**Chapter 7: Cold Exchanges**

Uzuki Yūgao's chocolate eyes opened as she startled awake.

Sweat dripped down her face, and trailed over her slender neck. Her entire body shook as her heart accelerated like an out of control train going downhill.

The former Anbu let out a half-sob as images from her nightmare continued to plague her war-torn mind.

One of her companions, Yamanaka Asami, walked towards her from her watching spot.

A worried look was plastered on her pretty face as she knelt down. "Are you alright, Usuki-san?"

Yūgao nodded, though her still shaking body merely proved the opposite.

Frowning, Asami lifted her hand forward. "It's the nightmares again, huh? If you want, I can shut them off temporarily."

The blonde woman flinched as Yūgao slapped her hand away.

The group's captain fiercely willed herself to calm down, and manually shoved the horrific images to a tightly-locked mental box.

Once her breathing returned to a somewhat normal rhythm, Yūgao looked up. "I'd rather you not," she answered. "If I can't control my own mind, then I may as well be a puppet."

With more effort than usual, Yūgao pulled the blanket off of her clothed self, and stood up shakily.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, the purple-haired woman roughly smooth her slightly wrinkled uniform, and leaned back against a tree.

Asami bit her lip to hold back her otherwise unappreciated concern. "Since you're up, should we wake the civilians, and continue on our way?" She asked.

Forcing herself to focus on the present situation, Yūgao nodded, and subconsciously placed a reassuring hand on her weapon's pouch. "Are the women and girls able to make the trip?"

Asami nodded in affirmation. "My clanswomen and I are constantly reinforcing the genjutsu. The civilians believe that we are escorting them to the annual spring equinox festival back in Konoha."

The captain grunted in understanding, though she was dreading the moment when the villagers realized what had truly happened to their beloved home.

Yūgao turned her head towards the sleeping group. "Wake them up. We'll set out in twenty minutes."

After her companion nodded and left, Yūgao let out a long, quiet breath.

Her nightmares came and went, which it made more infuriating for the plagued woman as she had little control over how to deal with them.

Grumbling to herself, Yūgao placed her Phoenix mask over her tired face, and sighed once more.

She immediately pushed off the tree, and straightened her posture as her the rest of her fellow kunoichi arrived.

From behind a group of thin trees, Yūgao could see the civilians yawn and stretch as happy smiles wrinkled their faces.

For a moment, the former Anbu nearly wished that she shared their blissful ignorance.

"We're ready to set out as soon as the civilians fully wake up," a young Yamanaka stated, Hikari was her name as Yūgao correctly recalled.

The purple-haired woman nodded. "Keep an eye on them the entire trip. I'll be investigating what's left of their village. I'll be back soon."

The young kunoichi bowed at their captain, and turned their attention back to their charge as Yūgao took to the trees.

It didn't take long to reach what remained of the destroyed village.

The former Anbu dropped down on the edge of the ruins, and carefully scanned the area.

She may have killed the Alpha, and without it, the Drones' coordination would be weakened significantly. Still, the Akuma adapted quickly, and a new Alpha would soon emerge.

After not finding anything out of the ordinary, Yūgao proceeded into the center of the destruction.

She barely repressed a shiver as deja-vu overtook her. Usually suppressed memories of her own village's destruction leaked through her locked mental box.

Yūgao's hands curled into fists as she took in the dreadful sight with hardened eyes.

Out of respect, she carefully stepped over mutilated corpses of both adults and children.

The former Anbu was dumbfounded as to why the Akuma only killed the men while they spared the women. Was an enemy kunoichi who held a grudge against men responsible for this attack? It could have been a possibility considering the Akuma's selective killing.

Yūgao snorted humorlessly. "Someone obviously lacked charm," she murmured to herself.

The purple-haired woman was pleased to find no evidence of the Akuma's existence. Her team did an excellent job of sealing the bodies into special scrolls.

Yūgao half-heartedly mused whether the creatures' acidic blood would melt through, but quickly shoved that foolish thought aside.

After her detailed scan of the ruins, the former Anbu reached the other side.

Deciding that a quick scout of the some forest wouldn't hurt, Yūgao took to the trees once more.

She went on for a good portion of the morning, and silently took back her promise of being back soon.

She stopped on top of an ancient tree on the outskirts of the village. Just before her was the border with the Land of Sound.

Yūgao's hard eyes studied the flat landscape. Strangely, her insides twisted unpleasantly, as if sensing that something was wrong.

The purple-haired woman frowned as she debated on her next course of action.

She sighed in defeat as she made a decision. "It's been a while since I've last checked up on him," she said quietly.

Jumping down, Yūgao lifted her mask just enough for thumb to slide inside. She bit it, and slammed her hand on the ground. "Summoning jutsu."

As usual, a thick white smoke suddenly coated the area, though the familiar sight of Yūgao's summon was viewable as its great wings cleared the area.

The majestic bird bowed its head. "What is your desire, Yūgao-san?"

The purple-haired woman rubbed its head affectionately. "I need to head over to Oto, Hayato-san."

The bird clicked its beak in understanding, and Yūgao climbed onto its back. "Remember to stay well hidden within the clouds," she instructed.

With one great flap of its huge wings, the giant falcon took to the air.

* * *

><p>Sakura huffed in annoyance for the numerous time.<p>

She wasn't sure how much time she lay there, tracing the thin cracks on the stone ground. For all she cared, a millennia could have passed.

Considering how her arms were always tied around her back, after much struggle, Sakura managed to move the senbon from her breast bind and slide it in her leather shorts, just above her buttocks.

It was incredibly uncomfortable, and awkward to shift her weight to accommodate it, but Sakura rather deal with it than have no weapon at all.

The rosette knew that she had to preserve her only senbon. It was far too weak to somehow force the thick chains open.

Sakura opted to buy her time to preferably take out her "loving" escort while they were alone. Patience, however, was not the champion's strongest virtue.

As if the universe was willing to obey her, the door of her cell opened, and revealed the now familiar sight of the muscled vegetable, as Sakura liked to address him as in her mind.

Her small hope dwindled when she heard Kabuto's voice instructing her escort to unchain her. So much for catching her guard alone.

Grunting in annoyance, Sakura allowed herself to be led out of the room into the hallway.

The trio passed by numerous identical hallways, worsening Sakura's already dark mood as she cursed the heavens for making her escape attempt more difficult than it should be.

The rosette gave up trying to memorize the route, and instead focused on the back of Kabuto's neck.

How itching the desire was to flip herself over the walking vegetable's head, crack his neck, and reach for her senbon only to throw it at the unsuspecting glasses-wearing man. He wouldn't even have time to turn around before he collapsed dead on the floor.

The sadistically satisfying thought moved aside for reason and common sense.

If she were to kill the two men, she wouldn't have any place to hide to bodies, not to mention have no idea where to go next. She'd most likely make herself a "kill on sight" target for Orochimaru's men.

A vein throbbed on Sakura's forehead. Being rash would not help her.

The trio arrived in front of a pair of double doors. Kabuto knocked on it twice, and only entered when a command was heard from inside.

The trio stepped in, and Sakura took in the sight of the room.

It was illuminated by several candles placed all around, with tall bookshelves full of scrolls and books on each side of the medium-sized room. There was a map of the shinobi world plastered behind the dark figure, slightly reminding Sakura of her mentor's office, though this room lacked any warmth.

The snake sannin sat behind an elegant black wooden desk. Thankfully, his nerve-wracking apprentice wasn't present.

"Have a seat, Princess," Orochimaru said, his voice taking on a snake-like quality as it emphasized the "s".

Sakura repressed the need to shiver, and allowed herself to be seated by her guard.

Boldly, she looked Orochimaru in the eye, not flinching as his non-human eyes stared right back seemingly into her soul.

After a moment of staring at each other, the snake sannin chuckled. "You're more like Tsunade than I initially thought you were. You could be like her daughter."

Sakura merely responded by narrowing her eyes.

The sannin's amused look was swiped away, and replaced with a frown. "What is your mission, young Phoenix?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow, but remained quiet.

Orochimaru lost his neutral composure as he openly glared at the rosette. "It'd do you well to be cooperative. I have little patience for your games. I'll ask again; what is your mission?"

Sakura's stubbornness kicked in. "You're mistaken for believing that I'd willingly give out information about my people and our business. You may as well kill me."

Something glowed in his eyes, as if he wanted to take her offer. "As tempting as that sounds, I'm afraid I need you alive."

The rosette raised an eyebrow. "You need my abilities for something, otherwise I'd be dead."

A wry smile wrinkled Orochimaru's incredibly pale skin. "You're very intelligent," he commented. "Kabuto will explain more about it once the time arrives. However, you will tell me what you were doing in my forest."

Sakura was suddenly wrapped by two snakes that slithered from the sannin's outstretched arms.

She struggled as the reptiles began to strangle her arms. Her heart accelerated as she imagined what prey most have felt like being squeezed to death by a giant anaconda.

Orochimaru chuckled darkly at her fright. "I warned you to comply. My snakes will slowly tighten their grip until you're completely crushed. If you want to avoid that fate, tell me what are you doing in my village?"

Sakura grunted in frustration. "You just confirmed that you needed me alive, and now you're having me slowly strangled."

The snake sannin shrugged. "If you refuse to cooperate, I can always ask Tsunade."

She glared one-eyed at the snake sannin. "Tsunade-sama was right; you really are a cold-hearted bastard." She managed to squeak out.

Orochimaru's glare deepened at her remark. "Keep saying the wrong things, and I'd be worried for more than just your pitiful life."

Sakura gasped at him, before she coughed violently as the air struggled to reach her lungs.

She decided that she absolutely hated snakes.

Her struggles lessened as the reptiles' hold on her began too much.

Sakura's vision blurred, and her medical knowledge informed her that her brain was being starved. "Sc...Scout…" she murmured weakly.

Abruptly, the unbearably tight hold loosened enough for Sakura to gasp for breath. She coughed as she struggled to breathe, glaring at her capturer for his sadism.

Once her breathing calmed down, Orochimaru spoke. "Continue."

Sakura glared at him as she breathed hard.

The snake sannin raised an eyebrow. "As I've already said, it won't be just your life in danger if you fail to cooperate.

Sakura's glare heated with anger, before she looked away in defeat. "I was ordered to come to Oto and investigate the surrounding areas for any suspicious activities," she said hoarsely. "She didn't say so out loud, but I'm certain Tsunade-sama believed you were responsible for the recent attack on the Land of Hot Water."

Shockingly, Orochimaru snorted in disinterest. "I have no use for such a weak nation."

Sakura stared at him as if he grew a second head.

Considering his abilities and snake-like appearance, the rosette wouldn't have been surprised if he could.

"You claim your people weren't responsible, as mine weren't. Who then destroyed Yuga?" Orochimaru asked.

A light tremor went through Sakura's body. "I'm not sure," she managed to say in an even tone. "I didn't find anything."

Orochimaru glared at Sakura. "Don't lie to me, girl. You've destroyed my forest for a reason. Speak."

Hesitation filled Sakura as she stared unsurely into the snake man's cold eyes.

She bit her lip, but spoke. "When I was refilling my canteen, I was attacked by some dark creature that I've never seen before. Its blood was highly corrosive, and even managed to melt through the heavy stone around the waterfall. I went into the forest, though I was pursued by more of those creatures. After a struggle, I was captured by your men."

Several moments went by in thick silence as Sakura stared unsurely at Orochimaru.

A sneer came across the Sannin's face. "Do you really expect me to believe that? I've seen burn marks on the bodies of some of my men. You poisoned them."

Irritation sparked newly found courage within Sakura. "If you know Tsunade-sama as much as you claim to, then you should know that her poison with the closest effects as that substance only corrodes lung cells, from the **inside**."

"She's right, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto added. "I've spent many years studying Tsunade-sama's poisons, and I've never seen anything like the corrosive sample from the forest."

Orochimaru glanced at Kabuto, before fixing his eerie gaze back on the nervous Phoenix warrior. "If you really were in a struggle with these creatures, where are their bodies?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know. I was out of it."

Another tense silence took hold of the room as a contemplative look fixed itself on Orochimaru's face.

Sakura waited with a held breath for his decision.

The snake sannin gestured behind her. "Kabuto, we'll go over the report. Dai, take the girl back to her cell."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," the muscled man replied.

Sakura flinched as she was yanked up, her chair was thrown onto the floor.

Not daring to look back, Sakura allowed him to lead her back to her cell.

As guard and prisoner walked through the halls, Sakura's eyes widened in excitement. _Now's my chance!_

The rosette purposely tripped over, causing the muscled man to let go of the chains. He cursed at her clumsiness, though Sakura paid no attention.

She quickly reached for her hidden senbon, and rolled her chained hands to the front.

With the muscled man's thick neck exposed as he towered over her, Sakura struck.


	9. Chapter 8: The Calling

**Chapter 8: The Calling**

Yūgao arrived at the outskirts of Oto by nightfall, the air travel greatly reduced the journey time.

The purple-haired woman instructed the giant falcon to set down a good distance from the glaring lights of the hidden village, though close enough for her to reach by foot.

After scratching Hayato's head affectionately, Yūgao released the summon. She carefully concealed her chakra, and took off towards the village.

Not even five minutes later, Yūgao stopped abruptly, and stared in shock at the damage in front of her.

The area looked like an earthquake passed through, completely obliterating everything in its path.

The former Anbu jumped down, and studied the area intensely. She only knew of two people in the entire world who had the power to wreak such havoc. _Sakura_, she thought worriedly.

What was Tsunade-sama thinking by sending her apprentice in the heart of enemy territory?

Yūgao knew these lands like the back of her hand, and was able to sneak in and out of Oto.

Sakura, on the other hand, had never left the Fire Country before.

The purple-haired woman walked around, her keen eyes never missing a detail. Her supreme vision spotted a residue on the ground next to a nearly knocked over tree.

Yūgao knelt down, and dipped her gloved hand into it, mushing it over her fingers. She looked up, and noticed the particular slash marks on the damaged bark.

The former Anbu's eyes narrowed in realization.

She stiffened as the wind carried to her the sound of voices.

Yūgao immediately jumped into a high branch a distance away from where she was, and seemed to have morphed with the shadows.

Shortly afterwards, a group of Oto-nin walked into view, three of them carried what appeared to be a body bag.

A bulky man whistled. "Damn, Orochimaru-sama's sure got to have his hands busy with that little spitfire."

Another one laughed. "He's damn lucky, I'll say. Have you ever seen a fine piece of ass like her?"

The first man grinned. "I'd certainly like a piece of it."

A thin man sighed. "Too bad she'll most likely be given to Sasuke-san as a plaything while we're stuck here cleaning up the mess."

The second man snarled. "Why does Uchiha have to get all of the fun? With that stick so far up his ass, he'll never even touch her. That's just a waste of a nice body."

"Enough!"

The men automatically shut up, and adopted a stiff posture.

A woman with a spiky ponytail stopped in front of them.

A frown was plastered on her attractive face as she reprimanded the men. "Quit your complaining, and get moving. Orochimaru-sama is waiting." She sneered at them. "With your ugly faces and less than appealing personalities, it's no wonder neither of you haven't gotten a good lay."

Grumbling quietly to themselves while giving the woman discreet glares, the men followed their supposed leader.

Even after they left, Yūgao remained in her position as she tracked the group's receding chakra.

"Oto-nin are rather stupid, don't you agree?" A voice sounded from behind her.

Without thinking, Yūgao turned around, and was about to throw a kunai when a strong hold grabbed her hand.

She let out a hiss, and readied her remaining hand to punch the unknown person.

"Tsk, is that really a proper way of greeting an old friend, Yūgao?" The voice asked teasingly.

Blinking in surprise, the purple-haired woman took a good look at the newcomer. Beneath the mask, Yūgao's eyes brightened in recognition. "Hayate," she greeted.

Said person slightly smirked. "You remember me, I'm flattered."

Rolling her eyes, Yūgao placed her kunai away once her hand was free. "What are you doing here?" She asked

A small smile tugged on the corner of the man's lips. "Same reason as you," he replied. "We're the traveling shadows of our masters; an extension of their senses."

Yūgao glanced back at the destruction. "You've heard about the latest attack?"

Hayate nodded, the darkening of his eyes only pronounced the seemingly permanent lines beneath the ocular organs. "The whole shinobi world has heard of it. Among several rumors that are circling around, the most popular ones are that the Land of Hot Water was attacked by either Oto or Konoha. There's even a crazy theory that Tsunade-sama and Orochimaru joined forces and attacked."

Yūgao frowned. "That's ridiculous," she commented.

Hayate nodded. "I completely agree." He looked at the destruction. "So they captured one of your own?"

The purple-haired woman nodded. "Yes, though I have no idea why Tsunade-sama would take a huge risk and send Sakura in the enemy's backyard."

Hayate raised an eyebrow as he studied the ruins. "I'd say that this Sakura girl has more than enough power to take care of herself. Something must have weakened her."

Yūgao fought to keep herself from tensing.

Her companion hummed in thought as he placed a hand underneath his chin. "I found strange-looking claw marks on various trees, as well as a weird goo. Perhaps they belong to a new freak experiment of Orochimaru."

Yūgao was grateful for the mask that hid her wide eyes. "Probably. This is the first time I've ever come across something like this," she managed to say in an even tone.

Hayate hummed in agreement. "Yeah, same here. Must be one heck of an abomination."

A few minutes passed by in silence.

The former Anbu cleared her throat. "I've got to find out where Sakura's being kept. I'll leave you to your investigation."

Yūgao turned to leave, but felt a tug on her arm.

Eyes widening, the purple-haired woman was pulled back as Hayate brought her close to him. He swiftly removed the Phoenix mask, and pressed his rough lips against hers.

Yūgao let out a muffled noise of surprise, before she gave in and kissed back.

Hayate pulled away, and gave a small smile. "I've been wanting to do that for a while," he said huskily.

Yūgao merely stared at him dumbfounded, a light blush painted her face.

Hayate placed her mask on, and patted her shoulder. "I know you're a busy woman. Go save your princess."

Shaking her head, Yūgao nodded, and sped away.

Once a safe distance away, the woman let out a breath. _That man will be the death of me_, she thought, both in exasperation and affection.

* * *

><p>A swift noise cut through the air, before a chocked gasp was released.<p>

Sakura quickly covered the man's mouth, and carefully allowed his weight to lean on her as she dropped him on the ground.

After making sure that the man was dead, Sakura pulled out the senbon from the man's neck, and slid it back within her pink locks.

She opened his weapon's pouch, and was pleased at finding three kunai.

The rosette secured the weapons through her shorts, and looked around for a place to hide the body.

As if luck was on her side, Sakura found an empty storage room full of cleaning supplies. The young woman carefully hid the tall body behind some crates, and went back into the hall.

With the adrenalin rush from her attack fading away, uncertainly entered Sakura's system.

She huffed in annoyance as she glanced between each corridor. _Now where?_ She thought.

Sakura quickly decided to go in the direction opposite of where she came from, thinking it best to increase the distance between her and the snake sannin.

A vein on her temper began to throb as the heavy chains jingled whenever she moved.

Hiding behind a dark corner, Sakura took out a kunai, and attempted to cut through the thick metal.

Her struggle was in vain as only a thin scratch appeared on the surface.

Sakura hissed in displeasure. With the chains still on, her chakra control was affected.

As an experiment, Sakura summoned chakra to her finger. A less vibrant than normal chakra scalpel formed, though it was strong enough to cut through flesh.

Deciding to save her reserves, Sakura released the control, and placed her newly earned kunai back.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she heard voices come towards her.

Sakura quietly fell to the ground, and pressed herself against the darkness as best as she took.

She observed two shadows shorten before their owners' voices were heard. "Man, why does Guren have to be such a bitch and force us to do the cleanup?"

"Do you even have to ask? She's such a goody-little-two-shoes whenever it comes to obeying Orochimaru." The second man said before snorting. "And she says that we need a good lay? She's the one who's got some thick tension going on inside."

The two men passed by, not noticing the pink-haired beauty that hid in the embrace of the darkness.

Sakura let out a breath she didn't realize she had held, and cautiously walked forward. She decided to go in the direction the men came from, and proceeded down the seemingly never-ending hall.

The rosette was quickly losing her patience when she abruptly stopped.

There was no explanation as to why her limbs acted on their accord, but Sakura retraced her steps, and went through another hall in an intersection she previously passed.

As if in a trance, Sakura allowed her limbs to take her to wherever she was being called.

Something whispered in the back of her mind, guiding her through the complex twist and turns of the underground passages.

The rosette stood in front of a door, and opened it without concern of what or who may have been inside.

The room was dark, though her eyes were able to clearly make out the sleeping form on the bed.

Despite her mind screaming at her to turn and run, Sakura found herself moving towards the figure as the whispering in her head encouraged her to step closer.

The rosette stopped at the side of the bed, silently observing the rise and fall of whom rested on it.

Against her will, Sakura placed her hand on the figure's warm forehead.

Immediately, red eyes opened, and engulfed Sakura within their depths.

The young woman was powerless as her body stiffened and her eyes rolled back into their sockets.

Suddenly, a foreign presence invaded her mind, and Sakura saw flashes of a horrifying beautiful creature.

From what she could make out, the creature was as black as the night, far taller than a human, with a long head that crested like a crown.

The creature was resting on top of a large sac that seemed to breathe with each breath its creator took.

From within the crest, an alien face came out. _Young one_, it said. The voice appeared to be feminine.

Sakura was at awe of the magnificent creature.

She suddenly heard many whispers within her head, each calling for her. _Sister! We have been waiting. _

Overwhelmed, Sakura groaned, and held onto her head.

_There is no need to be afraid, young one_, the creature said reassuringly.

Sakura's vision hazed over. _What are you?_

Suddenly, the creature appeared before the young woman, its breath tickled her face. _I am…_

_Stop!_

Sakura became alarmed when the images and whisperings halted. She looked around in the dark abyss of her mind. _Who are you?!_

_An ally_, a masculine voice replied. _You must fight their influence. It's…_

A sharp screech overpowered the voice, and more images invaded Sakura's mind.

She saw fire and death, and heard the screams of the dying.

Creatures similar to those that attacked Sakura came into view, their eyeless gaze seemingly pierced into her vulnerable soul.

Sakura gritted her teeth, as pain started to form in her head. _Stop it._

Her plea was ignored as more images assaulted her mental vision.

Unable to handle the stress, Sakura screamed.


	10. Chapter 9: Secret

**A/N: First off, Happy New Year. Hope you all have a good 2015.**

**Onto the story: Naruto finally makes his appearance, as I promised he would. **

**I personally enjoyed writing this chapter as Sakura finally gets a chance to kick Sasuke's ass. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Secret<strong>

Sakura collapsed beside the bed, her body shook and twitched uncontrollably as she gritted her teeth to hold back more screams.

The rosette yelped in surprise when she felt strong arms lift her halfway to the bed.

She tensed as her head tilted upwards, forcing her eyes to come into contact with the cursed bloody rubies that stared deeply within her.

Its pattern swirled, and Sakura felt her eyes getting droopy.

"Relax," a male voice commanded gently, though with a stern undertone.

The tenseness in Sakura's body eased as her body collapsed into the arms of the unknown figure.

Despite never having met the stranger before, Sakura felt that she could trust him after the intimate connection they shared.

She told herself it was due to the intense headache and confusion on her part.

Hesitantly, the man placed a smooth hand on Sakura's bare shoulder, and squeezed gently. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura's tongue felt swollen as she struggled to speak. "I was led here," she answered slowly.

"By who?" The stranger asked.

The rosette groaned as she fought back nausea. "I don't know. Something told me to."

Sakura felt a small amount of relief when the stranger placed a cool hand over her burning forehead. "What are you doing in Oto?"

"I was captured after I was attacked by monsters," she said softly.

The man tensed behind her, before he pressed his hand over the chains.

He managed to crack it open, and Sakura instantly felt the swell of energy warm her as her chakra restriction was freed.

Sakura looked gratefully at the man who stared back intensely. "What monsters?" He asked.

The rosette massaged her sore wrists, and looked down. "They're children of the darkness, truly horrifying. I… I could feel their bloodlust within my soul," she replied. "They looked like that big creature from my mind."

With some effort, she glanced up into the figure's changed black eyes. "What was that vision I saw?"

The man shifted Sakura until she sat comfortably on the bed. "It wasn't a vision," he started.

The young woman frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

The man closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. "You don't know, do you?"

His reply only strengthened Sakura's confusion. "What are you talking about?" She asked.

The stranger let out his breath quietly, before turning his gaze to the rosette. "To think that such a secret was kept from you. It's sad, really."

Confusion turned to anger as Sakura stood up wobbly. "What secret was kept from me?"

When the man remained quiet, the rosette roughly grabbed his collar. "Answer me!"

Both of them were startled when a curt knock sounded on the door, before it opened. "Nii-san, I heard screaming. Are you…" Sasuke halted in his steps at the scene in front of him.

Protectiveness filled the younger Uchiha as he saw the pink-haired prisoner tower intimidatingly over his brother.

Subconsciously, his blood limit activated, as he glared dangerously at the woman. "Get away from him," he hissed venomously.

"Sasuke," the older man warned.

Already agitated, Sakura turned around and matched the younger Uchiha's glare. "Don't test my patience," she threatened through clenched teeth.

Sasuke unsheathed his katana, and held it out in an offensive position.

Excited about the prospect of a fight, Sakura focused her chakra system to send the energy to her fists. The skin glowed with the raw power she was ready to deliver. "You'll regret challenging the champion of the Phoenixes." She said lowly.

A dark smirk plastered itself on her opponent's face. "Why don't you show me what you can do?" He retorted.

"Sasuke, that's enough!" His older brother exclaimed.

Ignoring the man's warning, Sakura and Sasuke bolted towards each other.

Ducking underneath the katana's deadly slash, Sakura aimed her fist for Sasuke's chest, and punched.

The Uchiha yelled in surprise and pain as he was thrown out of the room, and slammed hard against the corridor's wall.

He quickly moved out of the way as Sakura ran at him, her chakra-infused fists left a glowing trail behind them.

Sasuke dodged the punch aimed for his face.

The already damaged wall behind him crumbled as it lost its support.

Neither of the shinobi noticed the ceiling shake as pieces of stone began to fall due to their usage of taijutsu against each other.

Boldly, Sasuke managed to grab Sakura by her arm, and threw her down the corridor.

The rosette grunted as she skidded against the ground, scraps and cuts covered her bare skin.

Ignoring the pain, Sakura stood up, and glared at the smirking Uchiha.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? Can't handle a little bit of pain?" He mocked.

Narrowing her eyes even further, Sakura waited for Sasuke to be within range, before she punched the ground.

The Uchiha barely managed to avoid the blast as he took off to the newly open air.

Sakura's move caused the corridor to collapse in on itself, exposing the formerly dark passage to blinding sunlight.

Instinctively, the rosette jumped out of the way as an electric stream pierced the ground she stood on seconds earlier.

She flipped backwards, and pulled out a kunai.

For a moment, both shinobi stared at each other wordlessly.

The young Uchiha's dark hair blew around his elegant face. A neutral look was plastered on it as he stared back at Sakura.

The rosette made a point to avoid looking at his eyes, and drew her vision towards his partially exposed chest.

Despite the scratches and flakes of dirt that covered his clothing, the Uchiha took on an amused expression. "Still refusing to stare into my eyes? Afraid of a genjustu?"

Sakura couldn't help but smirk. "Why are you keeping your distance? Afraid of a mere punch?"

The man's amusement turned to annoyance as he narrowed his eyes at Sakura. "I'll admit that your raw strength is the most powerful I've ever come across, but if your enemy isn't within range, it becomes a liability."

"Hmm, guess I'll just have to bring you to me" Sakura said.

Tensing up, Sasuke saw the rosette disappear from view.

Sensing chakra, the Uchiha looked up and saw the woman coming towards him with her fist held forward.

She let out a battle cry, and Sasuke flipped backwards several times to avoid the deadly punch.

He struggled to keep his balance as the ground shook violently from the force of the blow.

Hearing something slice through the air, Sasuke brought his katana in front, and blocked a thrown kunai.

He took a defensive position as Sakura ran at him, her fists glowing a darker blue than before.

Sensing that the changed chakra posed a danger to him, Sasuke brought his katana up each time Sakura attempted to touch him.

Growing tired of the endless tango, Sakura kicked behind Sasuke's knee, and jabbed at his right arm.

The katana fell to the ground as Sasuke's limb hung uselessly by his side.

The Uchiha grabbed a hold of it with his functioning arm, and glared at Sakura. "What did you do?" He gritted out.

The rosette smirked. "I merely cut the muscles in your forearm. Can you fight just as well one-handed?"

Not waiting for an answer, Sakura ran towards her opponent, and swung her leg at him.

Sasuke managed to grab it with his good hand, and twisted it so that Sakura fell.

The rosette tripped him, and rolled over until she straddled the young Uchiha.

She slammed his legs together, and kept a firm grip over his good hand.

As she knelt over the fallen Uchiha, Sakura felt delighted by his vulnerability.

Her hands glowed once more, as she prepared to strike the killing blow. "There's a major artery in your neck that if severed would lead to fatal hemorrhaging. Let's see how long it takes before the life leaves your eyes."

Suddenly, something wrapped around the young kunoichi.

Sakura attempted to struggle, though her strength immediately began to deplete her.

Looking down, the kunoichi realized just what was immobilizing her.

Her vision narrowed in on the silver-haired man approaching her.

Rage gnawed at her. "You… you dare to use my own weapon against me?!"

The newcomer frowned. "You're becoming too much trouble for what you're worth. You're lucky Orochimaru-sama needs you."

Sakura snarled as she continued to struggle.

Seeing her distraction as an opportunity, Sasuke threw Sakura over, and tackled her.

He pressed his katana against her neck to the point that it drew a light coat of blood. "Stay down," he said.

Growling, Sakura slammed her forehead against Sasuke's.

The blow took the young Uchiha by surprise as he stumbled back.

Focused on the silver-haired man, Sakura jumped to her feet, and ran towards him despite having her torso tied up.

Not expecting her persistence, Kabuto stepped back and prepared some seals when he saw the slightly dazed looking Sasuke stand up, and draw his katana outwards. "Chidori stream!" He yelled.

The sound of a thousand birds chirping emanated as a long line of electricity crackled towards the raging Sakura.

Kabuto prepared to brace himself when a flash of orange suddenly appeared, and Sakura vanished.

Confused as to what happened, Kabuto's eyes widened as he saw the chidori heading towards him.

Narrowing his eyes in displeasure, Sasuke canceled the attack before it could inflict damage on the older man.

The Uchiha fell to his knees, and breathed hard. He hadn't expected to spend so much chakra on the fight.

He begrudgingly accepted that he underestimated the prisoner by thinking she was a helpless princess.

Sakura groaned as her head felt like something was pounding it. _Kill the Uchiha. Make him pay for his arrogance!_

The kunoichi's eyes rolled frantically underneath her eyelids as she struggled to come to terms with what had happened. _What is this voice?_ Sakura asked.

She tensed as she felt herself being lowered gently onto the ground.

"Sorry to jump into the fight uninvited, but I couldn't allow that attack to hit an unsuspecting target," an obnoxious voice stated.

Sakura opened her eyes and narrowed them as she tried to catch a glimpse of the newcomer through her blurred vision.

"Naruto. It's been a while," Kabuto greeted.

_ Naruto?_ Sakura mused. _That's a weird name._

The newcomer laughed briefly. "You look older, Kabuto," he joked.

Sakura could sense his eyes upon her.

He made a displeased sound. "Damn, looks like someone beat the shit out of her."

_Thank you very much_, Sakura thought sarcastically.

She groaned outwardly.

"Hey you, don't you have honor? That was a cheap move trying to attack her from behind." Naruto said.

The young Uchiha snorted as he leaned his weight on his katana. "I had to take her down before she caused more damage," he answered smoothly.

"Heh, at least she beat the crap out of an asshole like you," Naruto replied.

Sakura heard footsteps coming towards her.

"Back away, Naruto. The rope is specially designed to suppress chakra, though this Phoenix is dangerous," Kabuto said.

"A Phoenix?" Naruto asked in amazement. "Wow, she must be really powerful!"

"Powerful, and too much trouble," Kabuto muttered to himself.

Sakura was unable to stop Kabuto from securing her better.

She glanced at the newcomer's black shinobi sandals, before slowly glancing up.

The young man was tall, and wore a black and orange tracksuit that fit his slim body snugly.

Sakura let out a muted gasp when she felt someone hit the nerves at the back of her neck.

Her vision began to darken, though the rosette managed to make out ocean eyes staring at her, and spiky blond hair that blew wildly in the wind before she passed out.


	11. Chapter 10: Destined Meeting

**Chapter 10: Destined Meeting **

The survivors from Yuga arrived in Konoha at sunset five days after the Phoenix guards first arrived at the ruins.

The genjutsu they were under spared them from the realization that Konoha would be their new home after their old one was destroyed.

Breaking the news to them was not something Tsunade and her councilwomen looked forward to.

The slug sannin and her council were having a meeting in her office.

Tsunade nursed a throbbing headache as her councilwomen argued back and forth.

"They should be given a choice whether or not they wish to stay in Konoha," a blonde woman stated.

"They'll spread propaganda about the attack across the shinobi world if they're let go. We can't take that risk," a black-haired woman said.

"Who are we to force them to stay? Just because we lost our husbands and sons, that doesn't give us justification to decide for these villagers." A brunette commented.

The black-haired woman scowled. "It's because of our shared circumstances that it's our responsibility to care for these refugees, Yoshino"

The woman known as Yoshino snorted. "You seem the type of person whose husband would leave just in spite."

Despite the seriousness of the discussion, Tsunade couldn't help but smirk slightly.

The black-haired woman flushed in embarrassment. "Why you…"

Not wanting an unnecessary fight to get out of hand, Tsunade waved her hand. "Calm yourselves, Midori, Yoshino. You can settle your differences after this meeting."

Both women complied, although Midori glared at an uncaring Yoshino.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "From what my personal scout reported, Yuga was attacked by an Alpha leading a group of Drones. As usual, only the women and girls were spared."

"Did your scout eliminate the Akuma?" A woman from the Hyuuga clan asked.

"She only managed to kill the Alpha before she was forced to fall back," Tsunade replied.

Midori let out a sharp laugh. "Hah, that should show those Akuma bastards not to mess with us!"

Yoshino shook her head. "Don't get ahead of yourself. What the scout did was just slow down their progress. What we need to do is eliminate their entire hive."

"Agreed," a new voice added.

Taken by surprise, the women in the room stopped talking, and stared at the newcomer.

Surprisingly, Uchiha Mikoto stepped into the room, looking around calmly.

Tsunade recovered quickly, and cleared her throat. "Mikoto-san, what brings you here?"

The former Uchiha matriarch stared at the sannin coolly. "It seems that your councilwomen are having a hard time agreeing on what course of action to take."

A frown plastered itself on Midori's face. "And you have an idea?" She asked haughtily.

Mikoto flicked her eyes to the Akimichi matriarch. "I have a proposition," she said. "One that would require the women of the Akimichi clan to get off their lazy backs and work for once."

Midori's chubby face turned an ugly shade of red, as she stood up. "Listen, you Uchiha bitch…"

"Enough, Midori!" Tsunade yelled.

The black-haired woman stared at Tsunade in indignation, before she sat back down, and grumbled to herself.

Inhaling deeply, Tsunade motioned for Mikoto to proceed.

The Uchiha matriarch paced around the room. "We've all lost loved ones that fateful day twenty years ago. We don't know how it happened, all we had time to realize was that our men were dying." She stood in the center. "As I'm certain many of you feel, I'm tired of sitting around idly to think about the past. We need closure, and the only way we can get that is to exterminate the Akuma once and for all."

At her suggestion, the councilwomen immediately began to murmur amongst themselves.

Tsunade frowned at the Uchiha matriarch, not at all pleased by her rather scandalous remark. "We're a small force. I can't just send out my army to attack the Akuma any time I want. We don't even know how many hives there are, nor where their nests are hidden."

A wry smile teased the Uchiha woman's lips. "I wouldn't ask of you to make such a sacrifice. I merely ask for the volunteer of the mothers who lost their children, the wives who lost their husbands, the daughters who lost their fathers." Mikoto glanced down, her eyes hidden behind her dark bangs. "I've spent twenty years mourning over the death of my clan. I can no longer sit back and do nothing." She looked up again. "I know I'm not wrong when I say at least one of you has considered the idea of hunting down the Akuma. We'd be a separate force, the attacking section of the kunoichi force of Konoha. Fellow sisters, who will join me in ending this nightmare?"

More murmuring, and rather violent body language was expressed as the women discussed between themselves.

"What nerve she has to ask such a thing after she isolated herself from us."

"Can you blame her? Everyone deals with grief differently."

"I say that Uchiha-san has a point. We can finally avenge our loved ones, and spare our daughters this nightmare."

As the women continued to discuss amongst themselves, Tsunade began to feel more and more dreadful.

Konoha couldn't afford to split apart; it would become vulnerable, and that vulnerability would be exploited by foreign forces.

Tsunade felt relieved when Shizune ran in the room, and held out a scroll "Tsunade-sama, this just came in."

The chatter halted as the councilwomen stared at Tsunade expectantly.

The sannin's eyes widened at the note, her grip on the scroll tightened as rage and worry gripped her.

Yoshino frowned in concern. "What is it, Tsunade-sama?"

The slug sannin found that she couldn't speak. The words refused to form with her tangled tongue.

Mikoto stared knowingly at the queen. "Sakura-san has been taken, hasn't she?"

Sharp breaths were taken, and gasps were heard as every woman looked at Tsunade for confirmation.

Yoshino raised an eyebrow. "Is that true, Tsunade-sama?"

The slug sannin placed the scroll on her wooden desk, and let out a quiet exhale.

Witnessing her reaction, the Hyuuga matriarch stood. "I shall join you on your quest, Uchiha-san."

Mikoto nodded at the older woman, and bowed in respect.

The murmurs resumed once more after the Hyuuga's decision.

Yoshino sighed. "To quote my late husband, 'this is troublesome.'" Despite her grouchiness, the brunette stood up as well. "The Nara clan will assist you in your quest."

Tsunade stared at the Nara matriarch in shock. The sannin couldn't help but feel betrayed by Yoshino's decision, a woman Tsunade thought was one of her only allies.

Sensing her bitterness, Yoshino gave a sympathetic glance her way. "Don't take this personally, Tsunade-sama. Uchiha-san is right though: we need closure."

With her statement, one by one, the rest of the clan heads in attendance agreed to help.

Only Midori refused, still fuming over Mikoto's comment about her clan.

Tsunade stood up. "With nearly all of the clan heads gone, who's supposed to keep the clans organized?"

"I'm certain that the other clans have their line of succession put in place," Mikoto replied. "As for the Uchiha clan, the ones who survived separated after the attack."

The Akimichi matriarch snorted. "So the loner gets to lead?" She mumbled to herself.

Ignoring the chubby woman's comment, Mikoto bowed at Tsunade. "Please forgive my distortion of your ranks, Tsunade-sama. I'm sure that we'll all benefit from this."

The Hyuuga matriarch walked towards the door. "We must began preparations."

One by one, the volunteers bowed at Tsunade, before leaving the room.

Once they were gone, Midori snorted to herself, before bowing slightly to the sannin. She too left the room.

A thick silence took hold of the atmosphere.

Shizune shuffled nervously in her place. "What will you do Tsunade-sama?"

The slug sannin whipped her head to face the younger woman. "I'm going to have a little 'chat' with Konoha's betrayer."

With that, Tsunade stood up, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

><p>Yūgao stood in front of a large rock formation on the southern outskirts of Oto.<p>

She tapped randomly at the broadest one. "Now where was the switch?" She commented to herself.

As she fumbled about, Yūgao didn't sense the presence behind her.

"The switch is rather hard to find."

Without thought, the former Anbu threw a kunai towards the source of the voice.

When no cry or deflect sound was made, Yūgao turned around, and blinked. "It's you," she said simply.

The figure chuckled. "If you recognized me, why did you throw a kunai?"

Yūgao caught her thrown kunai, and slid it back into her weapon's pouch. "It's unbefitting of a shinobi to be so trusting at first glance."

"Very true," the figure replied.

The purple-haired woman feigned exasperation. "You always know whenever I'm here, Itachi." she said.

The man shrugged. "They told me that you were coming," he replied. "They've been especially restless after their encounter with one of your fellow Phoenixes. She had a rather unusual hair color, like the Sakura trees that bloom each spring."

Yūgao cocked her head in surprise. "You've met Sakura?"

Itachi nodded. "She said that she was led to me. She… her presence was made to Sakura."

Yūgao's eyes widened. "You mean Sakura's…"

"I believe she is carrying an embryo," Itachi confirmed.

Shock was an understatement to what Yūgao felt.

The former Anbu stepped back as she stared at Itachi with wide eyes underneath her Phoenix mask. "Was she impregnated here?" She asked.

The young man shook his head. "Sakura has only been captured by Oto-nin."

Yūgao stuttered. "I don't understand. Sakura has never come into contact with the Akuma before. Are you absolutely sure that she is impregnated?"

Itachi nodded. "Its scent is rather weak, but I could sense its presence when I entered Sakura's mind."

Yūgao tensed. "Where is Sakura? What are they doing to her?"

The Uchiha shrugged. "I don't know, Yūgao-san. Kabuto took her in after a fight with Sasuke."

"Sakura fought with your brother?"

"Yes," Itachi replied.

Numerous thoughts attacked Yūgao's mind.

How did Sakura become impregnated? When did that happen? Did Tsunade-sama know?

"I don't understand how Tsunade-sama didn't pick up on this." The former Anbu commented.

"As I said, its presence was extremely weak. It's possible that it kept itself well hidden from the outside world, or perhaps your queen hasn't been completely honest."

Yūgao frowned at Itachi's suggestion. "She wouldn't betray the trust of her apprentice, nor willingly allow Sakura to become impregnated.

"Then it's most likely a third party somehow got a hold of Sakura, and impregnated her then."

Yūgao shook her head.

Itachi's last explanation made sense, though it still didn't explain how Sakura was able to carry the embryo peacefully for who knew how long.

It's either her training as a medic-nin subconsciously kept her alive, or someone with greater knowledge was responsible for her continued existence.

Yūgao only knew of a handful of people who were capable of doing that, though it was hard to tell who it was.

Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's best if you return to Konoha, and warn your queen. I'm stuck here anyways, so I'll keep an eye on Sakura."

Yūgao shook her head. "I can't just leave Sakura alone," she stated. "I'll send a messenger bird back to Konoha. In the meantime, Kabuto owes me some answers."

The purple-haired woman stepped back, and proceeded to find the hidden switch.

After a few minutes, Yūgao allowed a small smile to grace her face as she activated the switch.

The rock shook as it lifted, and revealed a passage.

The former Anbu looked back. "Are you coming?" She asked.

Itachi shook his head. "I'll be staying at the village tonight. That place makes me too uncomfortable." He answered as he gestured to the passage.

Nodding in understanding, Yūgao turned her body halfway. "It was good to see you again."

"Likewise, Yūgao-san."

The former Anbu ran blindly into the dark passage, the rock slid back down and covered the hidden entrance.


	12. Chapter 11: No Other Choice

**Chapter 11: No Other Choice **

_Tsunade and Yūgao immediately headed towards the Hokage tower to regroup with the latter's Anbu group. _

_The purple-haired woman felt tense as she prayed for her team's safety._

_The two kunoichi arrived shortly, only to find the Hokage's office empty. _

_Yūgao let out a shaky breath. "Oh no," she said._

_Tsunade turned towards her. "I'm sure they're alright," the sannin tried to comfort. _

_The Anbu agent shook her head. "The reason you found me where you did was because I volunteered to scout. My captain said he'd give me an hour before he'd look for me."_

_Understanding flashed in the older woman's honey eyes. "If they managed to make it into Anbu, they're more than strong enough to look after each other," she started. "We have to go find survivors, and get the men and boys out."_

_Yūgao clenched her hands into fists. _

_The blonde woman noticed her reaction. "What's bothering you?" She asked._

_Underneath her mask, the Anbu agent gritted her teeth and looked down. "Why do the sexes have to separate? Why are these creatures even here? They've torn entire clans and families apart." _

_Tsunade's eyes narrowed in determination. "As shinobi, it's our duty to protect our village, no matter the cost. If it were possible, I wouldn't allow these demons to force our population to separate." She walked towards the windows, and took in the hellish sight of destruction. "The perseveration of male lives is the only way our village has any chance of a future." _

_Yūgao laughed harshly. "Yeah, and we women are going to be left behind to deal with the mess."_

_The slug sannin glanced at the younger woman. "We'll do what we have to do in order to ensure the survival of not just us, but also of the future generations." Her eyes softened slightly. "I'll need all the help I can get. Can I still count on you?"_

_The Anbu agent raised her head to face the older woman's surprisingly patient gaze. _

_Feeling somewhat reassured by the sannin's presence, Yūgao's stiff stance relaxed. "My aim is yours, Tsunade-sama." She said at last._

_Satisfied, the blonde woman gestured to Yūgao to follow, and stepped through an open window. __"Our best option would be to also find surviving kunoichi. They should still be hanging around," _she suggested.__

_"That's an excellent idea," Yūgao agreed. "Where should we start?"_

_"The Hashirama market," Tsunade said curtly before jumping onto the neighboring building's rooftop._

_Shaking her head, _Yūgao immediately followed behind the slug sannin. __

_The Anbu wondered whom they would find, if any of the survivors hadn't escaped yet. Her thoughts turned to her Anbu team, and even the newcomer Chunnin. She prayed that they got out, and didn't die in vain searching for her._

_Yūgao was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of battle._

_Immediately, her heart began to beat faster, and adrenaline rushed through her veins as she unsheathed her sword. _

_Tsunade and _Yūgao landed on top of a building that offered a spectacular view of the once beautiful and rich market.__

_The former Anbu inhaled shakily as she saw her captain battle single-handily against five of the creatures._

_Some distance away was a group of cowering women, and children. _

_Yūgao's exhausted and bloody captain didn't notice a small drone sneak by him, and stalk towards the civilians._

_Without hesitation, Yūgao jumped into the air, and landed in front of the small group. _

_The creature hissed in surprise, and halted in its approach._

_Narrowing her eyes, the purple-haired woman held out her sword. "Hazy Moon Night," she whispered._

_Twirling her sword in a circular motion, Yūgao rushed towards the wary drone, and slashed through it._

_Its animalistic shriek was muted as the blood pounded in her ears._

_Yūgao kept on going, creating two shadow clones. Once the copies of her popped up, the real Yūgao jumped into the air. "Dance of the Crescent Moon!" _

_The purple-haired woman and her copies sliced through the demons relatively easily. Her clones dispersed after they were splashed by the acidic blood._

_ Yūgao landed in front of her captain, and held her sword out defensively. _

_She heard her captain's sharp intake of breath. "Yūgao," he started._

_The woman looked back, and nodded. "Glad I made it just in time, sir. Where are the others?"_

_Before the man could answer, a deep roar echoed around._

_A few of the children began to cry as their just as equally hysterical mothers tried to comfort them._

_A creature similar to the huge alpha Yūgao's saw as they hurried to the Hokage tower appeared. Its long head ended in a crest, and it bared its dagger-like teeth._

_Narrowing her eyes, Yūgao kept a firm hold on her sword despite her slight shaking._

_As the creature began to stomp towards her, it let out a shriek of surprise as it was suddenly lifted off of the ground._

_It was momentarily held up in the air, before a low groan of effort was heard. _

_The creature was suddenly smashed backwards against the ground. _

_It gurgled in pain, before Tsunade rolled away, and decapitated it._

_The creature instantly went silent. _

_Yūgao couldn't help but appreciate the older woman's formidable strength._

_The Anbu captain bowed. "Tsunade-sama, I didn't know you had come." He said shakily._

_The blonde woman secured her sword away, and walked towards them. "Current circumstances called me back. Where are the rest of your team?"_

_"I've sent our medic to attend to the injured in Shelter H. I had Kita escort Sarutobi Kensuke to safety after the latter was sprayed by the creatures' acidic blood," the Anbu captain replied._

_Yūgao winced at description of the poor man's injuries._

_Tsunade gestured to the man's arm. "You're injured. Let me heal you."_

_Stubbornly, the Anbu captain stepped back. "Worry about me later. It's the women and children that need you."_

_Yūgao walked towards the civilians, and knelt down to try to ease them. "Ssh, it's alright. You're safe now," she said softly._

_An adolescent girl holding a young child sniffled. "They took my brother," she squeaked._

_Feeling sympathetic, Yūgao placed a comforting hand on the girl's thin shoulders. "I'm so sorry," she said softly. "Tsunade-sama is here now. She'll heal you all, and we'll get you to safety."_

_On cue, the slug sannin stepped towards them, and knelt down. Her hands began to glow green. "Just tell me where your injuries are, and I'll heal them." She said. _

_With gentle coxing from Yūgao, the civilians allowed Tsunade to heal their thankfully minor injuries. Their mental state, however, was something that not even the legendary sannin could fix. _

_Once she was done and the civilians thanked her, Tsunade stood up, and gestured to the only man to come closer. "Get your ass over here, and let me heal you."_

_Hesitantly, the Anbu captain walked towards the blonde woman, and held still as Tsunade's chakra soothed his discomfort. _

_"Can you still fight?" Tsunade asked._

_As if offended by the possibility of being unreliable, the Anbu captain glared. "Of course I can," he answered indignantly. "I'll make sure those demon bastards pay for destroying Konoha."_

_Tsunade nodded, and finished with the healing. _

_When she was done, the slug sannin turned to face the civilians. "My companions and I will escort you to the nearest shelter, where you are to stay until myself or my associate come personally to tell you otherwise," Tsunade stated, and pointed to a surprised Yūgao._

_After a murmured agreement passed through the small group, the three shinobi escorted them quickly to a shelter. _

_Despite being terrified, the young women of the group assured Tsunade that they'd follow her instructions to the dot._

_Satisfied, the sannin stepped back, and watched to make sure that the civilians properly secured the shelter's thick steel door._

_She faced her companions. "Let's get going."_

_With that, the three shinobi took to the air once more, and continued towards the center of the large market._

_More commotion got their attention, as they saw fire spewing from a slim figure, while others fought one-on-one with the demons._

_Going on ahead of the two Anbu agents, Tsunade focused chakra into her hand, and aimed towards the center of the battle. "Get out of the way!" Tsunade yelled out._

_Staring up in shock, the strangers barely dodged in time before the slug sannin smashed her fist into the ground with brute force._

_The area became deafened with the creatures' shrieks and roars as they were crushed. _

_Not willing to give the smarter creatures a chance to recover, Tsunade took out her sword, and slashed at the demon closet to her._

_Satisfied with its cry of pain, the blonde woman continued to clash with the creatures. _

_As one attempted to slash at her with its huge claws, the sannin moved out of the way, and held its throat._

_The creature shrieked as it struggled to loosen Tsunade's death grip. Its tail sliced the air around her as it tried to stab the sannin._

_Slightly grinning, the Tsunade dropped her sword in order to grab her rope with her free hand. _

_She managed to get a hold of the wild tail, and yanked hard. It caused the tail and rope to wrap tightly around the creature, significantly weakening its struggle. _

_ Focusing chakra to her hand once more, Tsunade delivered a powerful blow to the creature's hardened stomach._

_It shrieked as the blow caused it to fly backwards and crash into a building._

_"Tsunade-sama!" A woman called out in shock._

_Picking up her sword, the sannin turned to face the owner of the voice. "Who are you?" She asked._

_The younger woman bowed. "I'm Yamanaka Naomi, and these are some kunoichi that I came across."_

_Tsunade took in the sight of the five disheveled kunoichi. "Where are your clan-heads?_

_The Yamanaka woman shook her head. "I don't know. Everything's gone to hell ever since these creatures showed up. I don't even know where my sisters are."_

_"They should be safe; these creatures only attack males." Tsunade stated._

_"Selective killing? That's most unusual," a Hyuuga member commented._

_One of the two kunoichi from the Sarutobi clan spat on the ground. "Their very existence is unnatural. Where the hell did they come from?" She asked, staring at Tsunade._

_The blonde woman shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Where they come from is irrelevant though. What matters is that we evacuate the men and boys."_

_Yamanaka Naomi frowned. "And what are we supposed to do?"_

_"If we can't kill all of these creatures, at the very least we should attempt to kick them out of Konoha." Tsunade said._

_"Agreed," the Aburame clan member stated. "Once the threat has been dealt with, then the men can come back."_

_Tsunade nodded. "Yes, but I'm going to need the help of every capable kunoichi. Will the five of you join me?"_

_Without hesitation, the feisty Sarutobi woman nodded. "And get a chance to get back at these demons? Hell yes!"_

_Her fellow clanswoman nodded quietly._

_The Yamanaka beauty nodded as well. "My mind is yours," she said._

_At the same time, the Aburame and the Hyuuga women gestured their agreement._

_Pleased with the reinforcements, Tsunade turned her back towards the now bigger group. "Let's go."_

_As one, the group of kunoichi plus one man flew over the buildings as they made their way towards the outskirts. _

_As they passed in between two tall buildings, none of them noticed the stalking creatures until it was too late._

_The lot of them spat acid at the group, forcing the humans to dodge._

_Yūgao was unable to move her body adequately to avoid the corrosive substance._

_Attempting to curl herself inwards to add more protection, Yūgao was pushed out of the way, and landed hard on the ground below. _

_A sharp cry sounded, before something crashed a few meters beside the dazed Yūgao._

_Shaking her head, Yūgao paid no attention to the ongoing battle as she stared at her injured captain. "Sir!" She called out before stumbling towards him._

_The man groaned as the corrosive substance ate away at her Anbu armor. _

_Yūgao hurriedly pulled of the armor, though wasn't fast enough to save his skin._

_The captain gritted his teeth, and hissed sharply as his chest burned._

_The purple-haired woman quickly wiped off the acid with the man's ripped shirt before it could cause more damage. _

_Yūgao jumped in surprise when Tsunade moved her out of the way. _

_Wordlessly, she began to heal the damage done by the acid, though the metal bar that pierced through the Anbu captain's leg was too complicated to heal without the proper equipment._

_Cursing in her breath, Tsunade glanced at her companions. "Can any of you get him out of here?"_

_The Aburame woman nodded. "I can summon one of my contracts, and have it fly him to safety. Where did you have in mind?"_

_"Tanzaku Quarters. It's the closest village to Konoha. Unfortunately, all I can do here is stop the bleeding for him to survive long enough until he receives proper medical care."_

_Nodding, the Aburame woman bit her thumb, and pressed her hand to the ground. "Summoning jutsu."_

_A large beetle appeared, and its antennae twitched as its master spoke to it quietly._

_Yamanaka Naomi shivered in disgust, while the quieter of the Sarutobi women looked on in curiosity._

_The Aburame woman turned to face Tsunade. "I have instructed my summon on its task. Carefully place him on in between the wings."_

_Groaning low at the strain, the Anbu captain wrapped his arms around Tsunade and Yūgao as they helped him walk towards the giant insect._

_They carefully placed him in between the wings._

_Yūgao was about to step back when the man grabbed her wrist._

_The captain coughed out blood. "I'm not going to leave you in this hellhole," he wheezed. _

_The purple-haired woman squeezed his hand. "You haven't got much choice, sir," she replied, and gently removed his hand from her wrist, before stepping back._

_Eyes slightly widening, the captain couldn't do much as the giant beetle stretched open its wings, and flew away._

_Yūgao watched with a heavy heart as she saw yet another person dear to her fly off to an unknown destiny._

_She caught movement from the corner of her eye, and turned to see Tsunade unsheathe her sword. "Come on. The faster we kick out the demons, the faster we can be reunited with our fellow villagers."_

_With that, the kunoichi took to the air yet again._


	13. Chapter 12: Silent Host

**A/N: Here's the link of the actual drawing of the seal that I got inspiration from.**

** art/xeno-bloodline-seal-131797488**

**Enjoy the chapter**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Silent Host<strong>

_The prisoner's throat felt parched and ached extremely. An unpleasant taste stuck to her sensitive taste buds, and her starved stomach growled in hunger._

_A low moan escaped from her cracked lips, as she attempted to stretch her numb arms._

_The movement was restricted as a rattling sound disturbed the eerie silence. _

_Snapping her eyes open underneath the blindfold, the adolescent nearly had a panic attack as the horrifying memories of her capture assaulted her vulnerable mind._

_She bit her tongue to prevent a scream from being freed. She didn't want that cruel man to come back._

_Forcing herself to calm down, the prisoner tested the limits of how far she could stretch her limbs. Bitter disappointment filled her when the distance wasn't much._

_To her horror, a throbbing pain emitted from between her legs, and she felt some warm liquid ooze out._

_A rebellious tear slithered past her weak defenses before silent twin waterfalls escaped from her emerald eyes. _I didn't want to lose it like this_, she thought._

_"Oh Kami-sama, kill me now," she begged._

_The adolescent continued to cry quietly until muffled commotion caught her attention._

_Curious, the prisoner sniffled as she tried to listen carefully to whatever was going on._

_"…re is she?!" Someone shouted._

_Something crashed against the far end of the room, causing the adolescent to flinch violently._

_Muffled screaming made her blood freeze in terror. She hoped that whatever was attacking wouldn't come after her._

_The girl was startled from her twisted thoughts when the door burst open._

_She felt someone marched inside, the strong vibrations traveled towards her. _

_Whoever the trespasser was paused abruptly. _

_The prisoner heard a sharp breath, before wobbled footsteps made their way to her._

_She tensed, though the sound of the new comer's voice instantly put her at ease. "Child… What have they done to you?" The person asked shakily while removing the thick blindfold off of the scared girl._

_The adolescent's sensitive eyes burned as they were exposed to a bright light. Her sight, however, immediately focused on the person hovering over her. _

_Overjoyed with relief at seeing the woman, the adolescent couldn't help but call her by the beloved title. "Kaa-san."_

* * *

><p>The first thing Sakura noticed when she woke up was that her limbs felt like they were liquefied. Her vision blurred and spiraled out of order, forcing the kunoichi to close her eyes to push away the nausea.<p>

Surprisingly, she wasn't tied down to the soft bed, though she was barely able to move at all. Sakura realized that she was drugged.

As she slammed back down onto the mattress, annoyance filled her at the fact of her failed escape attempt.

Sakura was quite confused as to why she was lured to that older Uchiha's room. Her body felt frozen in place as whatever that foreign entity was took control of her mind. The rosette hated the fact that she was easily overwhelmed by the startling images.

Sakura knew that the older Uchiha would have the answers she needed. Getting to him, however, would not be an easy task.

The rosette noticed that she was dressed in a pair of simple black pants with an equally dark shirt. _At least they had the decency to give me proper clothing_, she thought.

The kunoichi's eyes wandered around the dimly lit room.

She noticed the various equipment that were lined up along the wall, a grand mirror the length of the wall hovered on top.

Sudden shivers traveled down her sweaty body. Sakura had the creepy feeling that Kabuto was watching her from the other side.

The rosette didn't appreciate how exposed she was, not to mention she had no idea what Kabuto wanted to do to her, if he hadn't done so yet.

The door beside the large mirror opened.

Surprise was an understatement to what Sakura felt when a familiar masked person walked in.

She blinked. "Yūgao-san."

The older woman removed her Phoenix mask, and offered a small smile that didn't reach her blank eyes. "Hello, Sakura-san," she replied.

"How did you find me?" Sakura asked.

Yūgao glanced behind her. "I have some inside information."

Confused by the purple-haired woman's answer, Sakura tensed as Kabuto walked into the room.

She was even more bewildered when Yūgao didn't adopt a defensive position, nor show any hostility towards the man.

Switching gazes between the two individuals, Sakura gave up trying to guess. "What the hell is going on?"

It was Kabuto who answered. "It appears that important information was kept from you. I'm here to inform you of what you've been missing on."

Deja-vu filled Sakura's senses as the man spoke the same words as the older Uchiha.

Dread soon accompanied the feeling at obviously not being told something vital.

Yūgao sat down on the bed. "Please listen to what he has to say."

Sakura was speechless at the older woman's reaction.

The rosette glanced at Kabuto. "What did you do to her?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "I merely informed Yūgao-san as well. She believes me."

Narrowing her eyes, Sakura huffed. "Why should I believe you? For all I know, you could be holding Yūgao-san against her will, or black-mailing her into going along with whatever you say."

Amusement added some life to the man's otherwise cool composure. "As pleasing as that sounds, I speak the truth. If you don't believe me, then how can you explain your earlier encounter with Itachi-san?"

Sakura's eyes widened.

The rational side of her reasoned that whatever happened with the older Uchiha couldn't be explained by normal means, but the rebellious part refused to give in to the enemy, to put herself at his mercy.

A mental battle raged between her two sides, each of them fighting hard to dominate the other.

Grudgingly, Sakura willed herself to listen. "Alright," she submitted.

Satisfied, Kabuto pulled out a chair and sat down. "Before I start, I have to ask you a question. What were you taught about the Black Death?"

Sakura's frown wrinkled her face even more. "What does this have to do with…?"

"It has everything to do with what I'm about to tell you," Kabuto interrupted impatiently.

Slightly taken aback by his reply, Sakura blinked rapidly. "Twenty years ago on the 10th of October, Konoha was attacked by foreign shinobi who took advantage of the Hokage's absence to strike. There were huge losses of Leaf forces, and only the women and girls were spared, out of pity of the enemy's blackened hearts," she scowled. "Tsunade-sama gathered several kunoichi, and together they kicked out the attackers. Whatever surviving Leaf shinobi there were deemed Konoha as cursed, and never returned."

Kabuto snorted quietly. "Is that really the best she could have come up with?" He murmured to himself.

Sakura glared. "What the hell are you so smug about?"

Kabuto shook his head, and leveled a cool stare with Sakura. "What you've been taught about the Black Death is a lie. Yūgao-san here saw with her own eyes the creatures responsible for the attack."

Sakura focused her attention on a very quiet Yūgao. "What is he talking about?"

The purple-haired woman let out a sigh, before she raised her gaze to face Sakura. "Sakura, what Tsunade-sama taught the Phoenixes about that day was just a cover-up."

The rosette's eyes widened, before they hardened with fury. How dare Yūgao suggest that their beloved queen purposely lied?

Seeing her reaction, Yūgao continued. "On that night, my squad and I were ordered to scout the Forest of Death after we've received reports of enemy shinobi camped there. We didn't find any sign of intruders, but then Konoha went under attack." The woman paused to recollect herself. "It was a gruesome mess when we arrived back in the village. There were so many mutilated bodies, and we came across these nightmarish creatures. I know you've came into contact with them when you first arrived in Sound."

The younger kunoichi swallowed a hard lump as she recalled the encounter. She began to tremble when her sharp mind started to connect the dots.

"I came across Tsunade-sama while I was out scouting the village. We realized that those creatures spared the women and girls, so Tsunade-sama gathered up any capable kunoichi she could find, and kicked out those creatures from the village. The cost came at a great price, though." Yūgao sighed.

"Why do they attack only men?" Sakura asked shakily.

"As a female-only species, they follow a matriarch hierarchy, with their queen being the top of the chain." Kabuto answered. "They require hosts to breed their young, hence why they don't necessarily kill every male they encounter."

Sakura glanced at him. "How do you know about this?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I've been studying these creatures for two decades, thanks to Yūgao-san."

Sakura whipped her head to face the older woman, and glared. "You traitor!"

Yūgao met her glance stiffly. "Sakura-san, I assure you that my loyalties are to Tsunade-sama and Konoha only." She sighed once more. "My squad's captain and I found two survivors among the carnage. The oldest was just five years old, and was protecting his baby brother. My squad's medic sensed the creatures' young gestating within him, though he wasn't able to remove it. I…" Yūgao struggled to get the words yet. "I sent the boys to Oto because I couldn't think of anyone else who'd have been able to save Itachi's life. Tsunade-sama arrived after the fact."

"Itachi…" Sakura repeated, staring at her shaking hands.

Kabuto nodded. "Yes, you've already met him during your foolish escape attempt."

Sakura glared at him.

The older man continued undisturbed. "You most likely felt drawn to the area, as if something had taken control of your body and willed you to go see Itachi."

Sakura stared at the man blankly, though internally her emotions were spiraling out of control. _It's all starting to make sense_, she realized in horror.

Sakura stared at Yūgao in barely contained disbelief. "Why weren't any of us told the truth?"

"Tsunade-sama and her councilwomen agreed that by revealing the existence of these creatures and the role they played on the attack of Konoha, any survivor who originally thought about staying would leave for a new home. They didn't want to strike fear into the younger generations."

"So why did you decide to tell me now?"

"Because you've been impregnated," Kabuto stated.

A tense silence took hold of the room's occupant.

The blood in Sakura's veins turned to ice, and Kabuto's words felt like a physical blow to her sanity.

"I'm… carrying one of those things?" She whispered.

"Yes," Kabuto confirmed. "That's why you had such an intimate connection with Itachi and the embryo that lives within him."

Sakura felt like her world was spinning out of control. She desperately tried to believe that Kabuto was playing a cruel joke on her, and that Yūgao was a gullible traitor.

"No…" she whispered. "No!" She glared at Kabuto. "You're lying. I don't know what you hoped for by telling me this, but I will get out of here, and I'll cut your pitiful existence short!"

The man raised an eyebrow almost bored, despite her threat. "Oh really? Why don't you take a look in the mirror?"

Sakura stared at Kabuto hard to find any give away of his intentions, but the man's face was perfectly blank.

Scowling, the rosette wobbled over to the large mirror, and observed herself. "What am I supposed to be looking for?" She asked impatiently.

"Turn around and lift your shirt," Kabuto instructed calmly.

Glaring over her back, Sakura did what she was told, and felt her breath hitch as she looked at her reflection.

On the small of her back was a decent-sized seal. Its complexity intrigued her, despite the horrifying implication that she didn't know when it was put on her, nor what it was for.

Stretching out from the center were four identical designs, each of them completely alien. Some parts held the fire symbol of her home, while others appeared to be a strange spider-hand hybrid.

Shock filled Sakura just by looking at it.

She glanced back at the two people. "What is the meaning of this?"

Kabuto stood from his seat. "That seal was activated after your encounter with Itachi, though I'm certain it was weaved into you whenever you were impregnated."

Sakura stared at him in silent horror. "How did I not know about this? Why haven't I felt the creature before?"

Kabuto shrugged. "Someone obviously went through a lot of trouble to prevent you from knowing. Your seal was meant to activate when you come into contact with other silent hosts like you. It's very similar to the one I placed on Itachi." He placed a hand under his chin. "It would explain why the embryo has only recently became activate after all this time of residing in a dormant state."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Active? What do you mean?"

The man stepped towards her. "When your mind melded with Itachi's, did you not hear voices? Did you not see **her**?"

Sakura gripped her chest it felt like something wrapped around her heart. Panic flooded her system as she imagined the parasite who resided within her taking pleasure in her tumbling emotions.

Kabuto was at her side, pouring his medical chakra into her. "You have to calm down, Sakura. You don't want to aggravate the embryo."

"I want it out of me," Sakura said. "I refuse to incubate it!"

Kabuto shook his head. "It's physically impossible," he replied. "Its placenta has most likely attached to each of your major organs. Physical removal would result in your death."

Sakura felt the breath was knocked out of her. There was really no way to remove the parasite?

Yūgao stood as well, and stepped towards them. "Sakura, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but you have to guard this information very well. Your life will be in danger if the wrong people learn of the embryo you carry."

Sakura glared at Kabuto. "I don't know what makes you trust him, Yūgao-san, but I don't. Who's to say that he hasn't already informed his master?"

The man adjusted his glasses. "I have purposely withheld this information from Orochimaru-sama. If he finds out, it will most likely cost me my life, as well as yours. He wants to find a way to control these creatures, and if he manages to fully awaken the embryo within you, he may very well succeed."

Sakura narrowed hey eyes in suspicion. "Why would you want to help me? What's in it for you?"

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "It'd be wise if you didn't doubt my actions and motives. I'm one of the few allies you have here in Sound."

Yūgao placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, causing the younger woman to look at her. "Sakura, you have to understand that there is more at stake than you realize. The entire shinobi world will be in danger if that madman manages to control these creatures."

"Until then, you're going to have to stay here in Oto. I'll be keeping an eye on your condition, while you'll be doing whatever Orochimaru-sama instructs you to." Kabuto said.

Sakura stared at him in confusion. "And that would be?"

"To try to find a way to remove the embryo from Itachi without killing him," Kabuto answered. "As you've already experienced, the seal is not one hundred percent a perfect failsafe. If your mind is not strong enough, the embryo you carry can take control of your mind, and allow its birthing to take place."

"What will happen to me if it succeeds?" Sakura asked.

"You'll die," Kabuto stated bluntly.

Surprisingly, Sakura managed to prevent herself from violently lashing out at the man.

She forcefully took deep breaths to bring back some self-control, though she was not at all pleased of the predicament she was unwillingly thrown into.

Sakura let out a long sigh as she realized that she had no other choice.

Satisfied with her somewhat acceptance of the situation, Yūgao stepped back and placed her mask on. "I need to get going, and find out what Tsunade-sama will do," she said to Kabuto.

The younger kunoichi frowned. "What will happen now between Oto and Konoha?" She asked.

Kabuto glanced at her. "You'll have to hope that your peoples' training will be enough to fend off attacks, and that Tsunade won't lead them to their deaths."

"That's why Kabuto is making sure to keep the existence of your embryo a secret. If Orochimaru finds out, your use to him will be far more than just as a political hostage," Yūgao added.

Sakura was extremely displeased of the situation. She hated the fact that she was forced into being a pawn of the tyrant Sound nin. She also didn't trust Kabuto to not have some scheme of his own.

After Yūgao left the room, Sakura turned to face Kabuto, fighting off the awkwardness. "What now?"

Kabuto walked over to the door, and held it open. "I believe it's time to properly introduce you to Itachi."


	14. Chapter 13: The Breaking Point

**Chapter 13: The Breaking Point**

Tsunade watched with hardened eyes as Uchiha Mikoto and her group of followers marched out of the village. Their leaving had confused many of the youngsters, and their newly appointed clan leaders were not pleased at being left behind to deal with the upset in balance.

Konoha suffered from their absence greatly; the civilians felt even more paranoid and worried about an impeding attack. Thankfully the young kunoichi seemed even more determined to prove their worth to their clans by finishing their training.

Standing beside the furious sannin was a saddened jinchuriki. Kushina's usual bubbly personality was darkened as she watched her good friend leave.

She sighed, and glanced at the sannin. "She finally snapped, huh?"

Tsunade remained silent as she openly glared ahead of her.

Kushina sighed once more, and stared blankly at the beautiful scenery. A dry smile wrinkled her face as she fixed her violet eyes all around.

Tsunade's description of their people being like Phoenixes rising from the ashes certainly held a pleasant and awe inspiring ring to it. Even their rebuilt village that stood out from the ruins acted as a visual reminder, yet the former will of Fire that was the life and heart of Konoha had stopped beating all of those years ago.

"Would you have gone with them if you weren't forced to stay?" Tsunade asked at last.

Kushina looked at her in surprise, before she turned away. "Our situation is different," she started softly. "I at least know that my son is somewhere out there under the protection of his mentor and father. Mikoto, however, lost everyone." Her eyes softened in pity for her dear friend.

The slug sannin hesitated, as if dreading to hear the answer. "If you were in her shoes, would you take the same course of action?"

Tsunade peered at the younger woman from the corner of her honey eyes. She was met by an impenetrable veil of red hair as Kushina's face was hidden from view.

"I… I would willingly allow the Kyuubi to take over me, as long as it meant that whoever took away my loved ones would die." She confessed.

The older woman cocked an eyebrow. "And risk killing innocent people?"

Kushina smiled darkly. "A grieving mother is capable of performing even the most unforgivable of actions."

Tsunade was unable to fight off the uncomfortable sensation she felt. If fate had been different, Kushina would have been a very dangerous and unstable enemy.

The older woman barely managed to repress a shudder at the horrible thought.

As if sensing her distress, Kushina fully looked at Tsunade and grinned. "Heh, don't have a heart attack while I'm here, baa-chan. You still have a village to run."

The slug sannin blinked rapidly to force the darker emotions away.

She managed a small smirk, and turned away from the balcony. "Don't fool yourself, Kushina. You're not that far behind me."

The red-head rolled her eyes, and followed Tsunade back into the office.

The blonde woman sat down at her chair, and sighed hopelessly at the amount of paperwork on her desk. "And to think I gave Shizune the day off today," she muttered to herself.

Kushina giggled. "I take it that you're more likely to die of mental exhaustion than by being defeated in battle."

Tsunade snorted unladylike, and grumbled to herself.

She suddenly sensed the subtle change in the air, and immediately thought of an excuse to shoo Kushina out of the room.

The red-head, however, seemed to already know as a wry smile formed on her face. "Well, I'll let you be, baa-chan." Her facial expression became more serious. "Please update me on how Mikoto and the others are doing."

Nodding in reply, Tsunade made sure the younger woman left the room before she looked away. "What happened?" She asked to the air.

Yūgao materialized from the shadows, and bowed.

Tsunade frowned. "A clone?"

The copy of the purple-haired kunoichi nodded. "It was necessary," she said. "Have you received my message?"

Tsunade's frown morphed into a displeased scowl. "Yes. I even had a little 'chat' with Orochimaru who confirmed it." Worry shone in her eyes. "How is Sakura?"

"She appeared shaken up, though she's fine considering her encounter with the Akuma." Yūgao's body abruptly tensed. "Tsunade-sama… Sakura-san has been impregnated."

The blonde woman's eyes widened, and her pupils became thin slits.

She stood up from her desk, and fumed. "That arrogant bastard! He dared to use my apprentice as an experiment?!" A guttural growl escaped from her mouth. "He knows Konoha doesn't have the manpower to fight in a war, and now we're in an even delicate situation thanks to those wannabe martyrs." She snarled.

"What does Orochimaru want?" Yūgao asked worriedly.

The slug sannin glared at the air. "Power, obviously. He founded the Land of Sound by blackmailing and killing those who opposed him. Since the former Daimyo is dead, Orochimaru lost his constant funding." The older woman cupped her chin. "If he were to take control of Konoha, Orochimaru be in the position to force the Fire Daimyo to give him whatever he wants, unless that old fool wants his death wish. After that, Orochimaru would have full control over the imports and exports from the other countries."

Yūgao nodded in understanding. "And then he'd become one of the most powerful men in the shinobi world."

A thick silence took hold of the room, each of the women were lost within their own troubled thoughts.

"It's been over a week since she's been gone. What's the status of the embryo?" Tsunade asked at last.

"From what Kabuto could muster after the scan he performed, he concluded that the embryo has been inside of Sakura-san for at least a few years." Yūgao replied.

The slug sannin looked confused. "That's impossible. She's never left Fire Country," she said.

Yūgao shook her head as if disbelieving it herself. "Whoever impregnated Sakura-san placed a seal that put the embryo in a dormant state. That would explain why not even she was aware of the entity." The purple-haired kunoichi stared nervously at the fireplace. "Sakura-san's carrying a queen."

A rather comical expression formed on the blonde woman's face. "A… queen?" She whispered in horror.

Yūgao nodded in confirmation.

The sannin's honey eyes narrowed dangerously. "And what is Kabuto doing with this knowledge?"

"The information is strictly between us and Sakura-san."

"You told Sakura?!" Tsunade yelled.

"Tsunade-sama, with all due respect Sakura-san deserved to know. She… had an encounter with another like her." Yūgao defended.

The older woman glared. "Explain," she ordered impatiently.

Yūgao coughed uncomfortably. "When Sakura-san tried to escape, an entity took control over her, and led her to Uchiha Itachi's room."

"That boy you rescued?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes," the purple-haired woman replied. "Whatever happened between them, it aggravated Sakura-san's seal, and she came into contact with the embryo she's carrying."

Tsunade sat back down, and cursed harshly. "If Orochimaru finds out, then we're as good as dead."

"That's why I have to remain there, watching from the shadows to make sure Kabuto doesn't do anything out of line nor inform Orochimaru of the truth."

"What's his goal? Why would he help us?" Tsunade asked with a raised eyebrow.

Yūgao shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. If he proves to be a threat to us…," the purple-haired woman grabbed a hold of her sword.

Nodding in understanding, Tsunade felt some of her fury dissipate at the thought of having her trustworthy scout watching over Sakura.

She rubbed her temples as she soothed a developing headache. "What else happened?"

"I met with one of Minato-sama's scout. It's safe to assume that he knows that the Akuma are responsible for the recent attack on Yuga."

Tsunade placed her hands underneath her chin as she adopted a contemplative look. "This is quite a slap to the face," she commented.

"And it will continue to be so until we find a way to properly get rid of the Akuma, and rescue Sakura-san."

"Since Orochimaru supposedly doesn't know about Sakura's embryo, what does he want with her?"

Yūgao sighed. "He wants her to find a way to remove Itachi's embryo without killing him."

The blonde woman raised a delicate eyebrow. "And that four-eyed medic of his couldn't achieve that?"

Yūgao shook her head. "Orochimaru believes that you are the better medic of the two, and since Sakura-san trained directly under you, she was the next best choice."

Tsunade pinched her nose. "This is starting to make sense," she said.

The purple-haired woman cocked her head. "How so?"

The slug sannin stared at the world map on the wall. "The Akuma's attacks have been getting closer to Oto. Since Itachi has been there long before Sakura arrived, I believe that the Akuma are somehow drawn to him."

"Could he be carrying that hive's queen?" Yūgao asked.

Tsunade shrugged. "Possibly. If that's the case, then Orochimaru is desperate for Sakura to remove Itachi's embryo so that by the time the hive arrives, he'd have found a way to control them."

"The Akuma attacking Sakura makes sense. She must be carrying their rival's queen."

"Yeah," Tsunade agreed.

Yūgao's eyes widened underneath her mask. "Then Sakura and Itachi's interactions could lead to…"

"Disaster," Tsunade finished gravely.

Neither women spoke for a while as the startling reality threatened to overwhelm them.

"What… are we going to do?" Yūgao asked hesitantly.

The older woman bit her bottom lip as she thought carefully.

She looked up at the waiting scout. "It's a good thing that you stayed behind. Keep an eye on Sakura; make sure that she stays safe. I expect a report every time something unusual occurs."

"Hai," Yūgao's clone bowed, and disappeared in a cloud of thin smoke.

Tsunade sighed heavily, and placed a hand over her forehead. She summoned healing chakra to sooth the throbbing, though not even her medical expertise would help mend her broken heart.

Throughout her long life, Tsunade has dealt with pain at the loss of her loved ones. She frantically prayed that the same fate wouldn't fall upon her pink-haired apprentice.

_Sakura, please be safe_," the sannin thought worriedly about her adopted daughter.


	15. Chapter 14: Delayed Illness

**Chapter 14: Delayed Illness**

As soon as Sakura donned a pair of simple black sandals and had her hands secured with another pair of damned chakra chains, she along with Kabuto walked out of the room.

As they made their way towards wherever Itachi was waiting for them, a rampage of contrasting emotion swirled within Sakura.

First was shock after realizing that she had been carrying a parasite for so many years without knowing.

Next came fear since she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep the parasite under control, lest she were to die "birthing" it.

Blinding rage followed as Sakura fumed about anyone daring to do such a horrible thing to her.

Confusion also filled her as she wondered why she wasn't able to remember the moment she was impregnated. Also, if whomever impregnated her wanted control over the creature, why would they bother placing the seal?

Sakura's head throbbed painfully, and it felt like it was going to explode with all of the deafening thoughts and worries tormenting her fragile mind.

Her carefully neutral look would have fooled even the most observant of people.

As they continued down the seemingly never ending hallway, Sakura couldn't help but let her curiosity get the better of her. "That Naruto guy, who is he?" She asked.

Surprisingly, a barely noticeable fond expression softened Kabuto's sharp look. "He's the apprentice of an old teammate of Orochimaru and your mentor." The softness hardened into neutrality. "I'm not sure why he's here though. If Naruto's around, then Jiraiya-sama should be as well."

Vague recognition beamed in Sakura's mind like a light bulb. "The pervert," she murmured quietly.

That time, Kabuto allowed a small smirk to wrinkle his face. "Indeed."

The rest of the trip was quiet, and shortly afterwards, they arrived in front of a familiar door.

Knocking twice, Kabuto opened the wooden door, and allowed Sakura to step in first, before he followed, and sealed the opening.

Like a deja-vu, Sakura found herself walking over to the bed, and kneeling beside it.

The rosette didn't even realize that the entity she shared her body with compelled her to lean her head onto Itachi's chest.

The man's breath hitched, and the world momentarily came to a halt.

Sakura found comfort by listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

As if something switched in her internal mechanisms, Sakura's vision became much more intense as she was able to make out normally subtle details that she had never noticed before.

She could see the small embryo resting within Itachi's chest cavity. A loving purr vibrated deep within her throat as she looked at it lovingly.

As if sensing her gaze, the embryo twirled sluggishly, though Sakura was able to feel its joy.

Both she and Itachi groaned as their respective embryos moved inside them, causing some discomfort.

Once the sensation passed, the man she was leaning on gently ran his strong hand over her scalp.

Sakura looked up to meet his swirling eyes. The sight made her smile.

A cough sounded behind her.

Instinctively, Sakura got up, and placed herself defensively in front of Itachi. She growled quiet as she assessed the threat.

The grey-haired human backed away cautiously, though it was Itachi who snapped Sakura out of it.

The rosette blinked repeatedly as she felt the Uchiha's warm chakra awaken her system. "Wha… what happened?" She asked as she glanced between the two men.

Itachi lowered his head. "I apologize. Even after all these years, I still have some challenge in controlling the embryo."

Kabuto stepped towards them. "You two will have to work on that control, especially when Orochimaru-sama or anyone else is present." He warned.

Sakura scratched her head, mentally berating herself for losing control so easily.

She looked at Itachi. "What was that thing I saw, the one who spoke in my mind?

The Uchiha looked at her, something flicked in his eyes. "Those were the memories of the mother of my embryo. She died shortly before I was impregnated."

A frown formed on the kunoichi's face. "What does she want?"

"For her hive to live again," Itachi replied.

Confused, Sakura looked at Kabuto for clarification. "It was her hive that attacked Konoha. It's unclear where she came from, nor who killed her." A contemplative look came across his face. "It'd have to have been someone extremely powerful."

Sakura felt more lost than ever. "How do you know that?" She asked Itachi.

The young man seemed to contemplate his next words. "She… it talks to me sometimes. Sharing its hive's memories, forcing scandalous suggestions into my mind."

The rosette's emerald eyes darkened with dread.

Kabuto stepped in between them. "You'll have time later to discuss more in depth about your situation. Right now, you'll have to play your part that Orochimaru-sama expects." He stared hard at Sakura. "Itach-san has an incurable disease. I haven't been able to find any ailment to help ease his suffering, though his embryo seems to be delaying its spread."

Against her will, Sakura felt worried for the Uchiha. "Is that why he's always stuck in bed?"

Itachi chuckled humorlessly. "Some days I have enough strength to go out, but most of the time I am stuck in bed." A rather blank look wiped away the fake smile. "It was not quite uncommon among my clan."

Sakura frowned. "If no other medic has been able to come up with a cure, what makes Orochimaru believe that I can?"

"You've trained directly under the great Senju Tsunade, the world's leading medic nin. Perhaps Orochimaru-sama believes that with your meddling, it'll force the embryo to come out for him to harvest." Kabuto nodded.

A disgusted look plastered itself on Sakura's face. "He's treating Itachi like slaughterers would to cattle."

The other medic nodded, as he glanced at the Uchiha. "He wants to unlock all the secrets of nature. These creatures are the greatest mystery he has ever seen."

Itachi shuffled into a sitting position. "What are we to do?" He asked.

"Orochimaru-sama is not aware that Sakura know the truth. I'll think of something later, but for now, try to be conscious of how you two act around each other," Kabuto answered.

Sakura tensed as the door opened, creaking loudly in the stale air.

She forced herself to breathe properly even as Orochimaru and that damned arrogant apprentice of him stepped into the room.

The latter person openly glared at Sakura who was more than happy to return the favor.

Noticing the subtly hostile exchange, the snake sannin chuckled. "I apologize to keep you waiting, **princess**," he mocked the title. "It seems it's that time of year when guests visit me. I take it that Kabuto has explained what you have to do for dear Itachi-kun?"

Not trusting her voice to not shout an insult that could potentially sign her death wish, Sakura merely nodded curtly.

Kabuto bowed low. "Hai, Orochimaru-sama. She's ready to begin."

The snake sannin nodded, and Kabuto removed the chakra chains.

Sakura rubbed her wrists, and barely suppressed a shudder when Orochimaru spoke. "If you use your chakra for anything other than checking on Itachi, I'll have you fed alive to Manda," he threatened.

Refusing to allow him the pleasure of seeing her fear, Sakura turned her back towards him, and faced Kabuto who stood in the other side of Itachi's bed.

The man nodded at her, and Sakura executed the hand signs for the mystic palm technique.

Strong green chakra appeared on her hands, and she scanned them all over Itachi's body.

It took an immense amount of willpower to ignore the excited whispers of the embryo inside her.

Sakura started with Itachi's head.

Concern filled her when she sensed the severe damage done to his ocular nerve and the surrounding capillaries.

Now that she recalled, Itachi's gaze didn't seem focused each time she looked at him. He seemed to be staring within her rather than at her.

Sakura's glowing hand moved onto the Uchiha's chest.

Her eyes widened in shock as she realized the extent of the damage done to his alveolar. That would explain his shortness of breath.

The kunoichi swallowed thickly when her medical power hovered over Itachi's weak heart, not noticing the intense gaze Sasuke fixed upon her.

To her, it was a miracle that he was still functioning more or less normal.

Kabuto was right when he said that Itachi's embryo was keeping him alive.

Somewhat soothing her breaking heart, Sakura discovered no other symptoms in Itachi.

The glowing chakra dissipated, and she turned to face the snake sannin. "His prognosis doesn't look good," she said. "His ocular nerve is badly damage, and I wouldn't be surprised if he goes blind within the next couple of months. His lungs are also damaged, hence his shortness of breath. I assume that he fatigues easily, and has below average stamina due to the lack of proper oxygen entering his system." Sakura's eyes slightly softened. "His heart is no better either. Isn't there an available donor?"

Orochimaru shrugged rather carelessly, while Sasuke stared widely at his older brother.

"Itachi has refused a transplant. Says he doesn't want to force someone to give up their life for his," the snake sannin said.

"I won't allow you the excuse to kill an innocent soul just for the sake of my life," Itachi replied sternly.

Orochimaru shrugged once more. "Your choice."

The only female glanced nervously at the snake man.

Sasuke looked at Sakura with heartbreaking hope. "Can you save him?"

Sakura couldn't help but feel pity for the younger Uchiha.

She may have thought of him as an arrogant ass, but she respected his devotion to his older brother.

"I'm not sure yet," Sakura replied honestly. "I have some ideas to help ease his suffering, though I'll have to study his condition more before I even think of having some idea of a cure."

Sasuke nodded curtly, though the rosette was able to read the thankfulness within his coal eyes.

Boldly, Sakura stared straight into Orochimaru's inhuman eyes. "I'll need to pick out some medicinal herbs to prepare some potions."

The snake sannin nodded. "Guuren will accompany you to the fields when she comes back tomorrow. Until then, we should leave to allow Itachi-kun to rest."

"Orochimaru-sama, I think Sakura-san should stay with Itachi-san," Kabuto said.

Sakura whipped her head to stare at the man incredulously.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously at the suggestion, while Orochimaru stared coolly at Kabuto. "And why is that?"

Had Sakura been in Kabuto's place, she would have shrunk from the intensity of the snake sannin's piercing gaze.

Kabuto remained calm. "I won't be able to constantly keep an eye on Itachi's condition. Since Sakura is a talented medic, it's practical for her to stare with him at all times like a personal nurse."

"She's a Phoenix; she'll kill Itachi the moment you leave them alone," Sasuke said calmly, though he was glaring daggers at an unamused kunoichi.

Itachi wheezed a cough that quickly turned into an attack, causing Sakura to allow her medical training to take over.

She leaned Itachi onto the bed until he lay completely flat, and focused her healing chakra over his chest.

A minute went by before he calmed down, and moaned quietly.

Sakura leaned back, and nearly jumped when she realized Sasuke was standing beside her, his body language completely tense.

The younger Uchiha focused his hard eyes on hers, before they slowly softened slightly.

Sakura made sure to stare back blankly, before her focus was switched to a chuckling snake sannin.

He smiled unpleasantly at Sakura. "You are indeed very talented." Orochimaru lifted his head. "Very well, I'll have Gen set up another bed." He fixed his frightening gaze on a helpless Sakura. "I believe you're well aware of the consequences should you decide to escape or do anything to harm Itachi-kun."

Sakura nodded stiffly as she stood there awkwardly.

Satisfied with her compliance, Orochimaru gestured his head towards the door. "Come Sasuke, you still have your afternoon training to complete."

Sasuke glared at the snake sannin's back, before he switched his gaze to Sakura.

He stared at her intensely for a moment, as if trying to solve a puzzle. It made Sakura feel incredibly exposed and uncomfortable.

Finally, Sasuke nodded at her, and walked after Orochimaru.

Sakura let out a breath she hadn't realized she held once the door quietly shut.


	16. Chapter 15: Good Medicine

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. From now on, there will be a longer gap between the updates.**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: Good Medicine<strong>

Yūgao stood up from her crouched position after she released her jutsu. She didn't fully trust Kabuto to leave Sakura alone with him, and despite Itachi's best intentions, he wouldn't be able to protect Sakura from Orochimaru if the snake sannin found out the truth.

The purple-haired woman groaned in satisfaction as she cracked her neck, and stretched her stiff body.

She looked around the lively forest for any sign of trouble.

Once she deemed it clear, Yūgao made sure to suppress her chakra, before she was on the move.

The purple-haired woman made sure to stick to the shadows provided by the great trees as she made her way back to Oto.

Something in her peripheral vision caught her attention, and the woman landed on the ground.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Hayate. What are you still doing here?"

The man smiled dryly. "Good to see you again," he drawled sarcastically. "How's Sakura?"

Yūgao's straight posture slumped slightly. "Things are complicated. I can't get her out on my own," she replied honestly.

Understanding flashed in Hayate's face as he placed a comforting hand on the woman's slim shoulder. "She'll be fine. The hokage's son and his mentor are presently in Oto. They'll keep Sakura safe."

Yūgao blinked in shock. "Jiraiya-sama is here? Doesn't he know Orochimaru's nature?"

A short chuckle escaped Hayate's mouth. "They were teammates once upon a time. If anyone presently in Oto knows how to handle that snake, it's Jiraiya-sama."

The purple-haired woman nodded. "That makes sense, though why are you still here? Shouldn't you report back to Hokage-sama?"

Hayate smirked. "I'm here to keep an eye on Naruto. While Jiraiya-sama is busy handling Orochimaru, he won't be able to deal with that furball of energy that kid is."

An amused smile graced Yūgao's face. "I can only imagine," she said as she removed her mask.

A faint blush painted her cheeks as Hayate stroked one gently. "We'll be spending a lot more time together." His voice took on a gruff tone. "It's been a while since you and I had one night."

Yūgao made sure to keep her face perfectly blank even as heat flushed in her abdomen. "We both have our missions, and that's what you're thinking of now?" She asked stiffly.

Hayate pressed the woman against him. "There's nothing neither of us can do now. Why don't you just allow yourself one night to relax? I've got a camp not far from here by a nice waterfall. Don't you women like that romantic scenery crap?"

Yūgao rolled her eyes, though she found Hayate's offer very tempting. _Oh, what the hell?_

She let out a quiet sigh, and hugged Hayate. "Let's go," she whispered huskily in his ear.

Hayate chuckled at her hidden impatience. He stepped back, and gently held onto one of her hands.

Together, they vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

><p>Sakura let out a breath she hadn't realized she held once the door quietly shut.<p>

She turned her attention back to Itachi as he clenched his chest.

Concerned, the rosette dropped to her knees, and placed a chakra enhanced hand over the Uchiha's chest. She willed his disturbed embryo to calm down.

Even with the force of her chakra, it wasn't enough to force the embryo to submit.

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth. _Stop!_

The squirming parasite abruptly halted its movement, and Itachi let out a harsh breath of relief.

The rosette gently brushed long strands of dark hair away from his sweaty forehead, pleased that his heartbeat was back to normal.

Sakura glanced up at Kabuto who was writing something in a worn leather book.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "What is that?" She asked.

The silver-haired man finished the rest of whatever he was writing, and placed the book inside his pouch. "It's my notes on Itachi's embryo. From what I've gathered over the years of observing Itachi, his embryo responds mainly to emotional stress. The results manifest themselves physically upon Itachi's body."

Sakura glanced down at said person. "Are you afraid of Orochimaru?" She asked, puzzled.

The eldest Uchiha cocked a dark eyebrow. "He's not exactly a "people person", he replied wryly.

Sakura smirked slightly, but it quickly fell to a grim expression. "Itachi," she started, "does your brother know about the embryo?"

The Uchiha immediately avoided the rosette's gaze, and that was enough to tell her.

Kabuto stepped around the bed, and stood beside Sakura. "It's best if Sasuke-san doesn't know. He's already emotionally unstable; telling him the truth might make him willing to make an unbreakable bargain with Orochimaru-sama."

Sakura's hardened eyes lost their ferocity as she witnessed the proud Uchiha's shoulders slump down slightly.

The male medic concentrated chakra to his hand, and pressed them onto Itachi's chest. "Normally it takes a lot of chakra force to subdue the embryo, yet you were able to calm it down faster than I would have." Kabuto pulled back his hand, and adopted a contemplative look. "Perhaps it's because you too host an embryo."

He was snapped from his personal reflection by the sound of knocking.

Composing himself, Kabuto straightened his posture. "Come in," he said loudly.

The wooden door opened to reveal a skinny man dressed completely in black carrying a flat bed. "Orochimaru-sama sent me to prepare a spare bed," he said.

Kabuto nodded. "Sakura-san will be staying here with Itachi-san during his treatment. Set the bed beside Itachi-san's."

Wordlessly, the black-clothed man did as instructed, and looked up at Kabuto. "Orochimaru-sama also instructed for you to meet up with him in the lab."

"Tell him I'll be there shortly," the medic replied.

Without another word, the man known as Gen turned his back to them, and left the room.

Once the door was properly shut, Kabuto turned his head towards Sakura. "Orochimaru-sama may have agreed to let you stay with Itachi-san, but he'll still be taking other measures in ensuring you stay put. Please don't do something reckless that'll put this entire operation in jeopardy."

Sakura nodded in understanding, and settled in her makeshift bed. "When will you be back?"

"Most likely tomorrow morning. I have to check on Itachi anyways, and I'll be seeing you off with Guren." An amused expression lightened his dark eyes. "Try not to piss her off. She tends to turn people she doesn't like into human crystals."

Raising an eyebrow in question, Sakura said nothing.

Kabuto walked towards the door. "Have a goodnight, you two."

With that, he closed the door, leaving the two occupants alone in peace.

Sakura let out a harsh breath, and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand. "I wonder if this is just some crazy genjutsu," she commented.

Beside her, Sakura heard Itachi snort quietly. "I sometimes wonder that too, though the embryo's movement constantly reminds me of the harsh reality."

The rosette bit her lip and twirled her fingers as she did her personal reflection. "Itachi," she started softly, "can we really trust Kabuto?"

Sakura heard the elder Uchiha breathe deeply, and exhale slowly. "The only person in Oto I trust is my brother. Regardless of his intentions, Kabuto knows better than to double cross me," he replied surely.

Sakura turned her head towards him. "It seems to me that Kabuto fears Orochimaru more than you."

"Indeed," Itachi agreed, "but the sharingan is more feared than some controlling fanatic wanting to uncover the secrets of nature."

Sakura turned her attention to the ceiling, and felt her eyelids droop lower. "If you say so," she muttered.

Sakura heard some ruffling noises coming from Itachi's bed. "Get some sleep. From now on, you'll always have to be on your guard."

Nodding slightly, Sakura pulled the blanket over her, and shifted in her makeshift bed until she found a comfortable position.

Without hesitation, her emerald eyes closed, and Sakura lost herself to the dream world.

* * *

><p>Sakura awoke with a jerk when an audible knocking came from the door.<p>

Without waiting for permission to enter, the door opened and revealed Kabuto who stepped in. "Get up. Sakura-san, you're expected to meet Guren in the training area after breakfast."

Sakura rubbed the sleep from her tired eyes. "I'm going to be alone with her?" She asked.

Kabuto nodded. "Don't worry, Sakura-san. Guren is a devoted follower of Orochimaru. He strictly instructed that no harm should befall you, though, she will kill you if you try to escape." He said, amusement not fully hidden beneath his cool tone.

Grunting quietly, Sakura rose from her warm bed, and awkwardly stretched her upper body before standing up.

She glanced over at the bed beside her, her eyes softening as she watched Itachi sleep.

As if sensing her reluctance to leave, Kabuto spoke. "He'll be fine. I'll keep an eye on him until you come back."

After a good look over of the sleeping Uchiha, Sakura turned her back to him, and walked over to Kabuto.

The older medic opened the door once more, and allowed Sakura to pass first.

After quietly closing the door, Kabuto led Sakura to a private breakfast hall where only the top followers of the snake sannin were permitted to dine.

The young Phoenix found it ironic that she was taken there.

Kabuto accompanied Sakura in the quick meal, and they soon made their way to the outdoor training room.

Sakura's eyes winced at the sudden exposure to sunlight, and had to cover her face with a hand.

"About time you got here," a feminine voice called out.

Both medics turned to face the owner of the voice.

Sakura's eyes narrowed in focus as a young woman a bit older than herself walked towards them. Her beautiful dark eyes were narrowed in dislike as she stared at Kabuto. "Is she the one?"

The rosette mentally noted with some amusement how Kabuto seemed to pretend that the other woman wasn't there as he looked at Sakura. "Yes," he said. "You're to escort her to the fields, and guard her as she picks the necessary herbs."

Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "You're not going to restrict my chakra flow?"

A small smirk graced the man's face. "Not this time, luckily for you. Orochimaru-sama is confident that you are smart enough to understand the consequences of your disobedience."

Sakura stared blankly at him, though inwardly she was annoyed at being at the expense of their dark humor.

Guuren smirked nastily, before she gestured in the opposite direction. "Let's get going, shall we?" She said as she threw an empty basket at Sakura. "We wouldn't want to keep Kabuto standing for too long. It's not good for his back."

The rosette huffed indignantly when the older woman pushed her not so gently in front.

Grumbling to herself, Sakura began walking forward and held the basket out front.

The two woman walked in silence for a while. Sakura admired the beautiful scenery as exotic plants and animals flourished around.

Like a dark cloud covering all of the sunlight, the rosette's slightly cheerful mood lessened as the younger Uchiha came into view.

He was sitting on a tree branch, and observed the two women quietly as they walked closer.

Guuren noticed him as well. "Uchiha, what are you doing here?"

The man shrugged, as if not wanting to waste energy speaking.

Sakura discreetly rolled her eyes. "Are you planning on making it a habit to stalk me?"

Sasuke focused his intense gaze on her, and cocked an eyebrow. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm making sure that you don't do anything to harm Itachi."

Sakura's frown softened. "I won't harm your brother. I promise," she said quietly.

The Uchiha's scrutiny lessened and was replaced with confusion.

Guuren interrupted the staring contest as she stepped forward. "We've got things to do, Uchiha." She turned to face Sakura. "Get going, Phoenix."

"I'm coming," Sasuke said.

Sakura stared at him quietly as he jumped down, and gestured with his head towards the field.

Deciding to ignore his presence, Sakura walked past him, and was followed by her two "escorts".

The trio arrived within minutes at the field, and Sakura couldn't help but suck in a breath at the beautiful sight.

Colorful flowers and plants were scattered all around as brightly colored hummingbirds and butterflies fed off of their nectar.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled Sakura away from her awe.

She knelt by a patch of beautiful pink flowers, and gathered some in her basket. Their proprieties would help immensely with Itachi's cardiac problems.

Sakura made her way towards a patch of poppies as they were good for treating that nasty whooping cough of Itachi.

The rosette was about to pick out some Sage, when a shadow fell over her.

"What are those for?" A deep voice rumbled.

Looking up, Sakura saw the young Uchiha tower over her. His black eyes scanned the flowers as if trying to detect hidden poisons.

Sakura spoke as she placed the needed quantities into the steadily growing basket. "Sage is helpful for head pains, hoarseness and coughs.[1] With his alveolar being damaged, Itachi has a hard time breathing, and all the coughing puts a lot of strain on his throat."

"You're just treating the symptoms. I thought you were going to find a cure."

Sakura clenched her teeth, but quickly forced herself to calm down. "I said that I'd need more time to study his condition before I can even think of coming up with a cure. For now, all I can do is ease Itachi's discomfort."

"Hm." Sasuke grunted, but stepped away.

Glad for the pleasant quiet, Sakura made her way to the next patch of plants when a chill ran through her body.

Acting instinctively, the rosette had to jump back abruptly as a barely seen senbon pierced the part of grass where she formally stood.

Setting down the basket, Sakura adopted a defensive posture and looked around for the enemy.

Guuren made a "tsk" noise. "Cowards. They couldn't even aim properly," she commented as part of her arm crystalized.

Sakura couldn't help but glance curiously at the first sign of the dark-haired woman's bloodline. If it had been any other time, Sakura would have asked Guren for crystal samples. Not that she would have allowed it…

To Sakura's surprise, Sasuke stood in front of her defensively, and took out his katana.

Ignoring his weird behavior, the rosette looked around her as she tried to find even the subtlest sign of something out of place.

Her keen ears picked up the sound of swishing, and she pushed the young Uchiha to the ground as a shower of senbon flew where their heads used to be.

Sakura quickly got off of a slightly annoyed Uchiha, and turned her head to face Guren.

The older woman effortlessly blocked the senbon with her crystalized arm, and back flipped over to Sakura and Sasuke. "What a joke. These people are harder worth being called shinobi."

"Now that wasn't very nice," a male voice said.

The trio put their backs to one another as they looked around for the enemy.

Answering their mental wishes, a group of over ten shinobi stepped out from their various hiding places.

Many of them were eyeing Sakura and Guren with excitement, while others were more reserved and cautious.

A few of the horny ones catcalled. "Hey there gorgeous, want to have fun with me?"

"I've always liked exotic girls," a bulky man said as he eyed a frowning Sakura.

Guren smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I have higher tastes than your type."

Without another word, Guren performed hand signs, and disappeared, only to reappear in front of the horny men. "Crystal style: Hexagonal Shuriken Wild Dance."

Vast amounts of crystal shuriken shot out from her body, and pierced many of the enemy shinobi.

The ones who didn't die on impact were cut off from their screaming by a fast Uchiha who cut through their dwindling ranks with his katana, barely visible to the naked eye.

Realizing that they bit off more than they could chew, some of the shinobi tried to run, only to come face to face with a smiling Sakura.

Her eyes flared in barely suppressed anger as she focused thin chakra to her fingers. "I don't appreciate being spoken of as a piece of meat. It'd do you well to remember that."

A fat man tried to play brave as he glanced at his scared companions. "What are you fools pissing your pants for? She's just a frail girl!"

Sakura's smile turned wicked as she reappeared in front of the fat man, and sliced his throat open.

He didn't even have time to scream, before the raging rosette moved on to her next victim.

She made sure not to kill the rest of the men. Instead, she sliced through their limbs, incapacitating them.

The area silenced awkwardly after the men lost their voices.

Sakura released the chakra scalpels, and looked around.

Guren and Sasuke didn't show mercy to their opponents, and the green grass was splattered with crimson.

Sakura spotted her picked flowers, and walked over to them.

As the medic leaned down to grab her basket, she noticed the young Uchiha supporting his right arm.

Remembering the damage she inflicted during their previous battle, Sakura stood up, and walked over to him.

The young man eyed her warily as Sakura stopped in front of him.

Wordlessly, she stretched out her hand, and gestured to Sasuke's arm.

He stared at her hard for a moment, before he held it out.

Sakura focused chakra in her hand, and held it over Sasuke's weakened limb.

The two shinobi stood quietly, only the faint humming sound of Sakura's chakra transfer added some melody to the gentle breeze.

As Sakura concentrated on her task, she didn't notice the slightly intrigued look the young Uchiha was giving her.

At last, Sakura mended the last layer of muscle, and politely stepped back.

The young Uchiha moved and stretched his healed arm as an experiment, before he nodded in thanks.

Sakura returned the gesture, and glanced at the unconscious bodies of the foreign nin. "What are you going to do with them?" She asked.

From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw the Uchiha shrug carelessly. "Orochimaru's lapdogs can go fetch them. Besides, they're not leaving any time soon."

Sakura stifled a snort. "They weren't much of a challenge," she remarked as she looked back at the Uchiha.

He gave her such intense look as if he was trying to peer into her soul. His onyx eyes seemingly shimmered in the sunlight.

Sakura's eyes narrowed in discomfort as she waited for him to make a move.

Sasuke blinked, and the intensity of his gaze was smothered. "Hmm, you fight well for a woman," the young Uchiha drawled lazily.

The Phoenix kunoichi lifted a delicate eyebrow at the man's comment.

He stared at her coolly, before he turned his back. "If you have what you need, then we should get back. These forests are especially dangerous at night." With that, he began to walk away.

The rosette blinked as she stood rooted in her spot.

Her eyes darkened with annoyance. "Ass," Sakura murmured quietly as she glared at the man's retreating back.

She turned her head to face Guren when she heard the older woman snigger as she stepped forward. "Complimenting people is like trying to swallow a large pill, for him," the dark-haired woman commented. "It's rather a surprise that he went out of his way to compliment you."

Sakura rolled his eyes. "I may have showed him that his birth name alone is not enough to garner respect from people."

Guren chuckled lowly. "I heard about your little "disagreement". I wish I could have seen Uchiha get his ass wiped on the floor."

Sakura glanced at the older woman in curiosity who met her gaze in humor.

Despite being on opposing sides, the two women shared a smirk at the expense of the young Uchiha.

Guren held out the basket full of medicinal herbs. "We shouldn't displease his "royal majesty", she remarked sarcastically.

Snorting quietly, Sakura took the basket, and the two women followed the Uchiha, completely unaware of the eyeless gazes fixed upon them.

* * *

><p>[1] .<p> 


	17. Chapter 16: Golden Surprise

**Chapter 16: Golden Surprise**

Yūgao carefully untangled her limbs from the sleeping man's firm hold.

She smiled when Hayate let out a low groan, and rolled onto his back, his breathing evened out once more.

Yūgao placed a soft kiss on the man's forehead, and quietly picked up her clothing and got dressed, placing her mask on.

She carefully slid out of the tent, and breathed in the fresh humid air.

The purple-haired woman would have enjoyed spending the day exploring the beautiful scenery, but her duties as a Phoenix kunoichi overruled that fantasy.

After securing her weapon's pouch and suppressing her chakra, Yūgao took to the trees, and went towards the area of destruction she saw when she first arrived in Oto.

The journey only took fifteen minutes, and Yūgao landed elegantly onto the rubble covered ground.

She scanned the area with experience-keened eyes, hoping to find something that would hint to the hive's location.

The steadily rising sun allowed more details to come to light that Yūgao hadn't originally noticed the night she arrived.

There were scratch marks on various trees, though what caught her attention were the deep grooves that slithered on the ground.

Yūgao's brown eye's narrowed in victory. _So they left a track_, she mused to herself.

Parts of it were obscured or completely removed due to the surrounding devastation, but there were enough bits of the tracks to make out the general direction they were heading.

Smiling in satisfaction, Yūgao ran at a steady pace as she followed the tracks.

At some point, she had to jump onto the trees, her visual cues being the occasional gathering of solidified Akuma slobber.

The trail led the woman northwards of Oto, towards the deep forests of the former Land of Rice Fields. By then, the sun had raised significantly across the blue sky.

From atop of the highest tree, Yūgao was able to make out the faint outline of the distant coast.

The trail abruptly ended at a cliff fall at the outskirts of the dense patch of trees.

Yūgao looked around in confusion, before she landed on the ground.

Some slobber was present on the ground, yet it simply stopped at the edge.

Glancing down, the purple-haired woman immediately noticed a human-sized hole formed within the rock.

_That's most likely not the hive's main entrance,_ she thought.

Using her chakra to keep a firm grip on the rock, Yūgao slid down the side like a snowboarder would a mountain.

She slowed down her descent, and slid into the man-sized hole.

Yūgao shook off the dust from her body, and examined the space in front of her.

The current position of the sun didn't allow much light to penetrate the awkward entrance.

In an act of discreet caution, Yūgao carefully sent out part of her chakra outwards to see if she could sense something.

After a minute or so of nothing detected, she withdrew her presence and stared hard at the black abyss in front of her.

Yūgao sighed inwardly. _Why do I always get put into these situations?_

Shaking away any hesitation, Yūgao took out one of her swords, and cautiously made her way forward.

When she pierced through the black veil, she kept one hand on the wall to have some sense of her bearings.

Yūgao squeezed her eyes shut as she continued forward, and abruptly stopped when she felt a drop in front of her.

Her chocolate eyes opened, and she took in the view with her newly-adjusted sight.

The narrow hole opened up to a large cave area, with multiple stalactites growing down from the ceiling.

It was eerily quiet, and held a cold atmosphere to it.

Yūgao couldn't help but shiver in dreaded anticipation.

Despite her instincts telling her to get out of there, Yūgao let out a sharp breath and dropped down.

She stayed in a kneeling position as she waited for some sort of disturbance.

After a moment, Yūgao slowly stood up, and walked forward, her eyes observing every detail around her.

Her sensitive ears only picked up the sound of water dripping onto the cold ground.

As she stepped around a large boulder, a thin rivet of water came into view

Yūgao blinked in surprise when she found a dead toad laying right by it, its tiny body having been shredded by what could only have been an Akuma.

The kunoichi took a closer look, and immediately recognized the barely legible markings on the poor creature's stomach. _What's he doing here?_ She thought in confusion.

"Poor guy didn't stand a chance," a voice emanated.

Yūgao flinched violently, and swung her body around with her sword held out.

A quiet chuckle was her response. "Relax, young Phoenix. I'm an ally."

Yūgao heard faint footsteps before a tall figure came from around the corner.

Her posture slightly relaxed when she recognized the newcomer.

She immediately bowed. "Forgive me, Jiraiya-sama. I didn't expect anyone to be here."

"Neither did I," the toad sannin replied. "What's your name?"

"Uzuki Yūgao," she repied.

Jiraiya grunted in confirmation. "I know that you and I are searching for the same thing."

"I thought you were in Oto."

"I technically am. This me is just a clone," the man said.

"How did you even find this place?" Yūgao asked.

Jiraiya gave a small smirk. "Same way as you, I imagine. I followed the trail." The amusement was wiped clean off of his face. "They're getting closer to Oto. I bet it won't be long before they attack the village."

Worry filled Yūgao. She didn't want another village, despite its ruler's black heart, to be destroyed. Too many lives had fallen to the Akuma.

Sensing her inner turmoil, Jiraiya offered a small smile. "But you and I will stop them before they can harm anyone else."

His comment had a comforting effect on Yūgao, who nodded and gripped her sword tighter. "Let's get going."

Nodding in agreement, the middle-aged man led the way deeper into the cave.

The further they went in, the warmer the air became.

"We're getting closer," Jiraiya commented.

In respond, Yūgao's grip on her sword tightened even more, and she readied her chakra.

The two shinobi stepped out into another open space, yet the walls were unnaturally smooth.

Yūgao looked around in confusion. "The walls look like they're man made," she commented.

"Which means that either this used to be a secret lair for a different purpose, or it was built exclusively for these creatures," Jiraiya said.

He stepped forward, and knocked on the wall.

His eyes narrowed. "There's another room behind this."

Abruptly, the hairs on the back of Yūgao neck stood on end, and low hissing filled the room.

She backed up towards Jiraiya. "It seems that they found us first," she said.

The man snorted. "About time. I got tired of looking around."

The two shinobi stood back-to-back, all the while the hissing evolved into growls and slashing noises.

Without warning, a solid body slammed into Yūgao, knocking the wind out of her as she skidded across the ground.

A loud shriek caused the purple-haired woman to wince as it rang loudly in her eardrums.

More growling followed, though they were quickly turned into agonized shrieks.

The kunoichi quickly reached for her dropped sword that lay in front of her face.

She let out a gasp of surprise when she was lifted up.

Yūgao whipped her head around, and was met with the sight of Jiraiya.

"They seem to be leaving you alone," he remarked.

"The Akuma are a female-exclusive species that attack only men," Yūgao replied.

A dry smirked wrinkled the man's face. "Well, I'm in luck. For once, the ladies are actually paying attention to me.

One of the larger Akuma slapped its thick tail onto the ground, creating an indent.

As if instinctively, both parties of human and alien launched at each other.

Yūgao jumped into the air, and drew her sword in a circular pattern.

The Akuma were powerless as they were quickly slashed to pieces without even realizing it.

The kunoichi made sure to avoid their lethal blood.

From the corner of her eye, Yūgao saw the toad sannin struggle with four of the bigger creatures.

"Jiraiya-sama, they're vulnerable to fire techniques!" Yūgao shouted.

Trusting her judgment, the white-haired man jumped back, and executed some hand signs. He sucked in a deep breath. "Fire released: Big Flame Bullet."

He blew out a long, thick veil of scorching fire towards the creatures.

They didn't have time to get out of the way, and the cave was deafened with their cries as they were burnt alive.

Even a battle-hardened kunoichi like Yūgao couldn't help but wince at their way to die.

Jiraiya closed his mouth, and turned his attention towards the far wall.

He ran towards it, but was cut off by a trio of the smaller Akuma.

The man tried to run past them, but was intercepted by the creatures once more.

Realization flashed in his eyes. "Trying to keep me away from the wall, huh?"

He quickly gathered raw chakra in his palm, and forced it into a swirling pattern.

As soon as it was ready, Jiraiya launched himself over the creatures, and aimed for the wall behind them. "Rasengan!"

The toad sannin's attack caused the cave wall to collapse, and revealed a separate chamber.

At first, steam flew out and obscured Yūgao's view.

Angry shrieks emanated from all around, and the steam dissipated in the cooler air.

Yūgao's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the frail body hanging from the ceiling.

It met her gaze with its dark eyes, and let out a low hiss.

Jiraiya released a sharp breath, causing the creature to direct its attention to him.

The man's small eyes narrowed even further. "What the hell is that?"

* * *

><p>Sakura, Sasuke and Guren arrived back at the base by early afternoon.<p>

To her annoyance, Sakura was blindfolded by a cackling Guren who found amusement in the younger woman's displeasure.

Sakura heard some rattling as if the Earth was moving, before she was pushed forward to walk.

The rosette found it awkward at some points, and nearly stumbled over some random jabs in the ground.

Her displeasure only increased at the sound of Guren's giggling.

"Where are you guys going?" A loud voice asked.

Sakura felt a hand grip her arm, and force her to stop.

She heard the Uchiha scowl quietly. "You again?"

Footsteps echoed closer to the group.

"Yeah, nice to see you too," the same voice remarked sarcastically.

Sakura tensed as she felt hands grip at the back of her head.

She heard a "tsk" sound right by her ear. "How rude of you to blindfold this poor woman."

Sakura merely blinked when the oppressive blindfold was removed, and she came face-to-face with a familiar blond.

He grinned. "Hi, I'm Namikaze Naruto. Pleased to meet ya!" He introduced himself and held out a hand.

Feeling awkward, Sakura lightly shook the blond man's warm, calloused hand. _He's a hard worker_, she mentally noted.

Naruto's smile widened even more. "What's your name, pretty lady?"

Sasuke stepped forward, and took a firm hold of Sakura's slender wrist. "Her name isn't any of your business. She has duties to attend to."

The blonde man's cheerful façade darkened with dislike. "Jeesh, I didn't know that she was off limits, your royally pain in the ass."

Guren let out a sharp laugh. "Ha! I like this kid," she commented.

Meanwhile, Sakura felt a vein on her forehead throb in annoyance as the two young men glared each other down.

She harshly yanked her wrist out of the Uchiha's grip, and glared at both men. "My name is Sakura, and I don't appreciate being regarded as a property whose owner can be changed by a new victor." She focused her glare on Sasuke. "I agreed to help your brother because I had no other choice, **not** because it's my 'duty'. And you," she stared at Naruto, "if you think your playful charisma will pick up any girl, you're sullenly mistaken."

Embarrassed, the blond man rubbed the back of his head. "Erm, sorry, Sakura-chan."

Unlike Naruto, the young Uchiha appeared almost bored at Sakura's outburst.

Huffing to herself, Sakura jabbed his chest. "You're going to show me to Itachi's room so I can get started on the potions."

Seeing that Sasuke was still busy glaring at the blond man, Sakura's eyes darkened in barely contained anger. "**Now**."

Appearing annoyed, the young Uchiha scowled at Naruto, and walked past him.

The Phoenix kunoichi took that as her cue to follow him.

Behind them, Sakura grimaced in horror after hearing Guren's comment. "They would make a cute couple," she joked while chuckling.

Sakura heard Sasuke grit his teeth, before he quickened his pace as if wanting to get out of the infuriating woman's sight faster.

Shortly afterwards, Guren's chuckling faded away, and a much welcomed silence took over.

Sakura held onto the basket tightly, and thought over what potions she'd make.

The walk to Itachi's room didn't last long, and the duo stopped in front of his door.

Sasuke knocked twice, and only entered when he heard a quiet "come in".

To Sakura's surprise, the young Uchiha held out the door for her like a gentlemen, and closed it once they went stepped in.

They both walked towards the center, and stood there waiting for some cue.

Kabuto stood up from his work a bit behind the grand bed. "Ah, back already, Sakura-san? I've prepared a working area for you to organize the ingredients." He gestured to where he was at.

Nodding in understanding, Sakura made her way over, and glanced at the sleeping elder Uchiha. "How is he?" She asked as she placed the basket on the wooden table.

The older medic stood in front of the bed. "He's been doing well this morning; just a faint episode of weakness, but he'll regain his strength once he's rested."

"You mean he didn't sleep well last night?" Sakura asked.

"Wouldn't you know? You were there with him," Sasuke commented strangely.

The rosette glanced at him with a guarded look as she tried to decipher the younger Uchiha's intention.

He stared back coolly, yet the lack of reaction unnerved Sakura more than she'd ever admit.

"Sakura, you're back," a deep voice said quietly.

Sakura broke her stare off with Sasuke, and focused on the elder Uchiha. "How are you feeling?" She asked as she scanned him with a chakra infused hand.

Itachi shrugged. "I'm not as well as I should be, yet I'm no worse."

Sakura frowned at his careless answer, yet she wondered if it was just a brave façade put on for the sake of his younger brother.

She walked back to the table, and began to organize the flowers she brought back. "I'll need a pot of water," she said.

Sakura heard Kabuto go into the bathroom, and turn the water on, before coming out.

He placed a pot full of cold water on the far end of the table.

Sakura glanced at it. "I'll need it boiled."

"I'll handle it," Sasuke said.

Surprised, Sakura watched in silence as the younger Uchiha blew a thin, concentrated stream of fire over the pot.

The water began to boil soon afterwards.

As Sasuke tended to the water, the rosette cleaned the sage leaves, and placed one in a tea cup.

Once the water was boiled, she poured some into the cup, and set it aside.

Sakura focused her attention on the foxglove, and set them aside for later usage.

Same thing happened with the poppies.

For a while, the rosette even forgot that she was alone until Kabuto spoke. "Sasuke-san, shouldn't you be heading to the training area for your session with Orochimaru-sama?"

"Hm," the Uchiha so gratefully "graced" Kabuto with an answer.

With her back towards him, Sakura allowed herself to roll her eyes at his rather obnoxious behavior.

Once the tea was ready, Sakura carefully picked it up along with an empty cup, and walked over to the bed.

She handed the hot cup to Itachi. "Gurgle it well, making sure that it wets your throat, and then spit it out." She instructed.

Nodding in understanding, the elder Uchiha took a good sip without flinching from the heat, and swirled the liquid around his mouth.

After a minute, he spat it out into the empty cup.

Satisfied, Sakura took both cups, and walked back to her station. "That was sage that I just gave you. It'll help with that awful cough of yours."

She heard the younger Uchiha walk towards his brother. "Do you need anything from me, Nii-san?" He asked in slight concern.

"I'm fine Sasuke," Itachi replied. "You should head to your training."

Sakura could feel the intense gaze that she knew was directed by Sasuke.

"I'll be fine," the elder Uchiha reassured. "You may visit me when your training session is over."

"Sakura-san and I will watch over your brother until then," Kabuto added.

"Hm," Sasuke said.

He walked towards the door, and with one final look, the younger Uchiha left the room.

Sakura let out a quiet breath. "Thought he'd never leave," she murmured to herself.

"Sasuke is very protective of his brother. He's killed those whom tried to hurt Itachi-san without second thought," Kabuto commented.

Sakura snorted unladylike. "So even his black heart can feel love."

"Do not let Sasuke-san's façade fool you; deep down, he is just as human as the rest of us."

"At least like the majority," Sakura remarked as her thoughts focused on the snake sannin.

Her face took on a contemplative look. "Why do you trust me? How do you know that I'm not planning on killing you?"

Itachi met her gaze calmly. "If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so the first time we met." His coal eyes shined beautiful in the candlelight. "I sensed your inner pain; I understand your prejudice, but you are a caring person. I respect that."

Sakura felt the blood in her veins turn to ice at his statement. She felt violated that Itachi was able to read her on such an intimate and personal level.

The elder Uchiha realized his mistake, and tried to speak, but abruptly froze.

Sakura's body stopped moving as well. All she could focus on was the intense screaming that resonated in her mind.

She clenched her teeth to prevent a cry from escaping, and she grasped her head as she knelt beside the bed.

Sakura felt like she was being burnt alive, yet she was relieved that the abomination was dying.

_What abomination?_ She wondered.

As if answering her question, images of a grotesque humanoid creature with golden skin and horrific eyes. Its shriek was a combination of animalistic, yet human as well.

_Kill! Burn the abomination! It cannot be allowed to live! _

For a moment, Sakura wasn't sure whether it was the parasite that resided within her that spoke, or if it was her own mental voice.

_Find its creator. Destroy it as well! _

Sakura suddenly regained control of her senses, and looked around her.

Itachi was breathing heavily, while Kabuto observed the two youngsters with hardened, yet curious eyes.

Sakura met Itachi's gaze, and the same thought passed through their minds. _What was that thing?_


End file.
